The “I“ Word

- The “I“ Word refers to the word “impeachment“ and is currently (mid-2018) being used in connection with the possibility of Donald Trump’s removal from office.

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Sometimes words are considered so offensive (or politically incorrect) that they are referred to simply by the capitalization of their first letter.

Here’s The Wall Street Street Journal’s journalistic explanation of today’s OWAD:

“Shhhhhhhhh. Whatever else you do, please don’t mention THE “I“ WORD between now and November. That’s the public message from Democratic leaders and most of their media friends this week after Michael Cohen’s guilty plea and his criminal allegations against President Trump. Between now and Election Day, “impeachment” is the forbidden word.“

WSJ 26.08.2018

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Origin of word impeachment

The word impeachment can be traced back to the 14th century, from Old French empeechier, from Late Latin impedicāre to entangle, catch, from Latin im- (in) + pedica a fetter, from pēs foot.

Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of Government. Impeachment does not necessarily mean removal from office; it is only a formal statement of charges, akin to an indictment in criminal law, and is thus only the first step towards removal.

Once an individual is impeached, he or she must then face the possibility of conviction via legislative vote, which then entails the removal of the individual from office.

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Practice OWAD in a conversation today
say something like:

“I can imagine that we’ll be hearing THE “I“ WORD used a lot in the coming months.“