what in the hell is a "mistruth"?

after listening to turd blossom yesterday actually criticizing wrinkle's campaign for "not telling the 100 percent truth" I heard some idiot commentator, a larry somebody or other (sabato???) talking about "mistruths" and how, if they were subtle enough, they wouldn't be noticed, but a big one would be. why can they not just use the word LIE???

has this word suddenly come into common usage? orwell must be so proud.

n/t

It is usually used when you want to say someone lied but you aren't sure they did or that you want to go that far out on the ledge. Lying implies an intent to deceive. Mistruth does not.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

But yeah spell check doesn't recognize it either. All I can say is that it's no mystery to me.

Bryant

Misspoke I have heard often, just not mistruth. Oh well, carry on :)

It seems more popular with political types who are afraid of ever saying something that must be defended. Most of us can grasp what is meant by it even while wincing at the term.

If you caught your boss saying something that wasn't true would you rather call him or her a liar or say he or she said a mistruth?

Bryant

There are plenty of less confrontational ways to approach it without inventing words.

Call it what it is. Sheeesh!

Heard Asshole Hannity used that one in defense of Jerry Falwell as "a great man who simply misspoke on occasion"

:eyes:

I think it was due to "misremembering."

Unbelievable what these fuckers get away with.

It probably makes them ill to say it so they have to use euphemisms like mistruth.

Here it is in Merriam-Webster. It's listed as one appropriate way to use the prefix "mis-" rather than as a separate word. I assume that means they consider it such a straightforward construction that no explanation is necessary.

Since so many people (and, apparently, a few dictionaries) never heard of it, I guess it's not the most common word in the language, but "mistruth" was commonly used on the North Side of Chicago where I grew up, so it's not a totally obscure term.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistruth

mistruth
One entry found.


Main Entry:
mis-
Function:
prefix
Etymology:
partly from Middle English, from Old English; partly from Middle English mes-, mis-, from Anglo-French mes-, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English mis-; akin to Old English missan to miss

1 a: badly : wrongly <misjudge> b: unfavorably <misesteem> c: in a suspicious manner <misdoubt>2: bad : wrong <misdeed>3: opposite or lack of <mistrust>4: not <misknow>

1. mis*act
2. mis*ad*dress
3. mis*ad*just...
... 140. mis*truth
141. mis*tune
142. mis*type
143. mis*uti*li*za*tion
144. mis*vo*cal*i*za*tion
145. mis*write

:shrug:

-Hoot