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November 9, 2004

I don't think that word means what you think it means

From the The Cincinnati Post's Arafat death-watch.

When advised at his post-election press conference of the possible death of Yasser Arafat, President Bush commendably and generously said, "My first reaction is, God bless his soul."

There was an implicit pause. "And my second reaction is that we will continue to work for a free Palestinian state that's at peace with Israel."

An implicit pause? How does one imply a pause?

Posted by Daniel Radosh

Comments

It is the short period when he is waiting to hear what to say next from the reciver in his ear. He is actually "stopping," but it is meant to imply "reflection."

Are you trying to say that an implicit pause is inconceivable ?

ugarte: you probably already heard, but just in case you haven't:

"receiver" = "bullet-proof vest"

lexine: you may have figured this out, but just in case you haven't:

"reference to bullet-proof vest on the blog of someone known to loathe the 'transmitter theory'" = "joke"

Knew Radosh did--and you're right, anyone who reads this blog knows he has an excellent bullshit detector about stuff like this. However, I don't follow your comments or opinions closely enough to know your position on the matter.

Yeah, "implicit pause" is oxymoronic.
I'm guessing the reporter meant "a pause which implied...."
What did it imply?
It's a sort of meta-implication: the President implies what he thinks, and the press implies he's actually pausing to think it through.


"There was an insipid pause."

The writer probably meant "pregnant pause," but either (A) is illiterate, (B) decided readers couldn't handle the notion of pregnancy and presidency in the same breath, or (C) both.

Meanwhile, the Arafat-Red Sox connection is coming at last into focus.

One implies a pause with a subtle shoulder shift and lifting of the eyebrows, all the while continuing to plow verbally forward without letting enyone else get a word in edgewise. Interestingly, this has long been called, in my family, a "shuckapoo."

"How does one imply a pause?"

...

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