“The dictionary meaning of ‘gaffe’ is a social error
or faux pas. The term probably entered politics courtesy of newspaper headline
writers, who have a professional need for words of few letters. Of course ‘lie’
has even fewer letters than ‘gaffe,’ but lies by politicians are not news. A
‘gaffe’ is the opposite of a ‘lie’: it's when a politician inadvertently tells
the truth.” —American political commentator and editor Michael Kinsley, “Home Truths,” The New Republic, May 28, 1984
This is really one of the classic definitions of a
term that has come into common use in politics and journalism. For a long time,
“gaffe” seemed synonymous with any statement embarrassing enough to force a
politician from a race, or at least stymie his momentum. These days, though,
that rule of thumb has gone out the window, along with much else in the
conventional journalism playbook.
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