categorical inaccuracy

What is the meaning of "categorical inaccuracy"?

If ordinary people like you and me don't tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we will be accused of lying.

When Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Ministers don't tell the truth (as a tribe of course, you don't expect them too!) you cannot call them liars. It wouldn't be polite to do so. Instead, what you say is that there are "categorical inaccuracies" in their statements! It is a polite way of saying that the men in power are lying!

Here are a few examples.

* Some people believe that there were several categorical inaccuracies in President Bush's speech.

• The Minister's statement was a categorical inaccuracy.

Another expression, which is heard very often these days, is "massage something". When you "massage data" for example, what you are doing is falsifying it.

* Promo, as usual, massaged the sales figures.

* We were told that the scientist had massaged the data.




COURTESY : The Hindu (The National News-Paper) - India

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