re: #226 Obdicut

One of the weirdest for me is the word ‘rape’. I heard a sportscaster describing a team as ‘just raping’ another team, and I was kinda stunned. I guess it’s really not that different from someone saying “They murdered the other team”, but it feels wrong as hell to me.

re: #233 McSpiff

Well, I agree. But I think that’s a more recent thing for me, since speaking with a rape survivor. Perhaps if I had been as impacted by a murder I’d feel the same way about its flippant use? I’m not sure. Still learning this whole ‘life’ thing.

There is a good bit of difference, language-wise. The word “rape” has changed meanings through its history. It was not always forcible sex per se. The famous “Rape of the Sabine Women” doesn’t describe the modern usage—it is the forcible carrying-off of a rival tribes women to provide mates. Even today the Italian word “rapina” describes theft, not sex. So historically, rape is more subject to metaphore. Not so “Blood Libel”.