Member-only story
When — The Jab — Becomes The Sucker Punch
The CDC has been busy at the Ministry of Truth
Steven Poole is a British journalist who has authored books on the abuse of language. His column — Steven Poole’s word of the week — is featured in The Guardian. In February, one of Poole’s headlines asked: Why do we call vaccinations ‘jabs’?
Poole explained, since the 16th century the verb jab first described the pecking of birds, then it was used to describe any poking or thrusting action. Later the term was incorporated into boxing. A jab was a straight punch from the fighter’s non-dominant hand. The origin of the medical use of the term comes from a 1914 dictionary of criminal slang. A jab was a hypodermic injection amongst morphine and cocaine fiends.
Poole provides the public with lessons in etymology. Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings developed or changed throughout history.
Recently, a Miami Herald headline asked: Why did the CDC change its definition of ‘vaccine’? Apparently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention modified its definitions of the words “vaccine” and “vaccination” on its website.
The Miami Herald stated, “Before the change, the definition for ‘vaccination’ read, ‘the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to…