Two short posts so far at Ezra's blog -- one gloating over the intra-right-wing backbiting after the Ben Domenech affair, and another on how abortion restrictions against doctors punish women.
By the way, where does the term "backbiting" come from? Biting someone else's back seems like an odd thing to do in any situation. Though if the unusual event of kicking someone's ass can become idiomatic, I suppose that meaning of backbiting would work as well.
Also, should I keep posting links to my weekend posts at Ezra's? Or do you guys know that that's where I'll be on the weekends, and go over there anyway?
Sunday, March 26, 2006
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2 comments:
My guess is that because it's speaking ill of someone behind their back. The back part is obvious, and the biting is a metaphorical term for cutting language, since it's an action done with the mouth that's damaging. Think: "biting remarks".
Yeah... I guess the "back" part is what makes it something usually done between people who are on the same side of an issue. You're getting the biting remarks from somebody who's behind you.
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