Word at War

War words have embedded themselves in our collective psyche; British politicians are fond of invoking the ''Dunkirk spirit'' whenever the country is faced with major crisis or even minor adversity, and Roosevelt''s famous description of Pearl Harbor as ''a date which will live in infamy'' was echoed by many US commentators after the 9/11 attacks.

So far, so familiar. Or is it? How many of us kno...