
Rare though the word is, an interesting variant of the device is hitting the sports headlines in England at the moment. An allegation has been made that no less a sporting person than the England football captain has been seen using racist language on the pitch. The evidence, according to reports, apparently lies in lip-reading. The defence, as reported, is reminiscent of apophasis, in claiming that the word as lip-read on video is part of a denial that the word had been used.
These are muddy linguistic waters. Does an offensive word become inoffensive if it is used in a statement of denial? It remains to be seen how the incident is viewed by the authorities in England.
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