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Posted By: sjmaxq A council of one? - 10/11/05 04:33 AM
This is entirely a word question, not in any way a political one, so I would be grateful if those cave tourists who seem incapable of responding apolitically would try to exercise restraint on this occasion. That no doubt fruitless appeal out of the way, here's my question:

This headline left me wondering if it was a new usage of council, applying what I have always thought was a word for a group to just one person, or was a 'loose for lose' substitution, using "council" where "counsel" would seem more at home.

Which seems most likely?
Posted By: tsuwm Re: A council of one? - 10/11/05 05:12 AM
Later in the article we find this:
It may also bear some similarity to realist tendencies of Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who last week enhanced the authority of his Expediency Council and its chairman, former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to oversee the performance of Ahmedinejad's government, particularly in foreign policy. (emPHAsis added)

I think it's a deliberate fox-pass.
Posted By: Faldage Re: A council of one? - 10/11/05 10:58 AM
I'd feel at least as uncomfortable with counsel in that context. The only definition of counsel that I see that applies to a person or persons is that of a lawyer who gives legal advice or acts in a court case. I'd go with the "council of one" interpretation.
Posted By: inselpeter Re: A council of one? - 10/11/05 01:05 PM
Witty is all. An expedient council. Good headline.
Posted By: wsieber Re: A council of one? - 10/12/05 05:23 AM
a deliberate fox-pass most likely! A council of one is more expedient: there will be no deliberation.
Posted By: zmjezhd Re: A council of one? - 10/12/05 11:42 AM
There is a non-elected, politcal body in Iran called the Expediancy Council. So, I'd go with the council of one interpretation.
Posted By: tsuwm Re: A mantle of one? - 10/12/05 06:05 PM
<sigh> (hi consuelo!)
Posted By: zmjezhd Re: A mantle of one? - 10/12/05 08:01 PM
sigh

Pardon me.
Posted By: TEd Remington Re: A council of one? - 10/13/05 11:17 AM
Quote:

I'd feel at least as uncomfortable with counsel in that context. The only definition of counsel that I see that applies to a person or persons is that of a lawyer who gives legal advice or acts in a court case. I'd go with the "council of one" interpretation.




Must notta looked very hard! This is from the very first dictionary cited in onelook.com:

http://snipurl.com/igwj (see def. 2)

Counsel does not refer exclusively to attorneys.
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