The Death of the English Language: Stalemates

Derived from the game of chess, stalemate is a word that is commonly misused.

I was reminded of this recently during the U.S. Debt Ceiling negotiations. Needless to say, it was a pretty popular term that was applied incorrectly nearly every time I stumbled upon it.

"No End to the Debt-Ceiling Stalemate."

The Atlantic (July 30th)

"Sen. John Kerry to House GOP: Negotiate to End Stalemate."

The State Column (August 2nd)

"The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a plan to raise the federal debt limit and cut government spending, ending a bitter partisan stalemate that had threatened to plunge the nation into default and destabilize the world economy."

The Washington Post (July 2th)

By definition, a stalemate is not a means to an outcome, but an outcome itself. It represents an obstacle that cannot be overcome.

Stalemates don't end.

Reporters and columnists would be better suited using the terms standoff or deadlock for the next set of Debt Ceiling negotiations, that should come our way long before the return of the NBA.