Can you use the word "lynch" in a story?

Was Fuzzy Zoeller guest editing that issue?

 

I probably would have changed the wording to something less inflammatory but equally to the point such as "released" or "waived." Beyond the racial connotation, there's no need to use life-or-death terms (although the baseball-crazed populace of St. Louis might disagree).

 

But is it necessary to even bring up images of people killing the players? No. So you don't need a word that works just as well. You need a word that doesn't turn fans into virtual racists and murderers. It's fucking baseball.

 

And the turn of phrase was absolutely unnecessary. Here's the full sentence:

"The sweep, after a victory in the finale of a series in Philadelphia, gives the Cardinals a winning streak of four games on the heels of a disastrous stretch of 18 losses in 24 games when the most agitated fans wanted to lynch at least half the roster."

This would be just as effective:

"The sweep, after a victory in the finale of a series in Philadelphia, gives the Cardinals a winning streak of four games on the heels of a disastrous stretch of 18 losses in 24 games that raised questions up and down the roster."

 

Most sports are predicated on violence and dominating the opponent. Hell, half the olympic games developed from skills applicable in warfare -- pole vaulting (jumping over an opponent's wall); javelin; wrestling, etc.

Could he have used a better word? I guess. But man, people are too sensitive to this shit. Lynching does not have only one connotation. It might have a prevailing connotation in some people's eyes, but not in everyone's. This is the definition from the top Google hit.

lynch
/lin(t)SH/

1. (of a mob) kill (someone), especially by hanging, for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial.
   "her father had been lynched for a crime he didn't commit"
   synonyms: hang, hang by the neck;
   execute, put to death, kill, murder;
   informalstring up, do in, bump off, knock off;
   literaryslay;
   raregibbet
   "her father had been lynched for a crime he didn't commit"

There's nothing inherently racial about it. Maybe writers in the past shouldn't have used the word "lynching" to describe what was just flat out murder.

 

Please, no suicide references...

 

Nope. Never use it.

Send the guys to the minors. Trade them. Don't lynch them.

 

this

 

Lynching is not necessary, but what you wrote was not the same meaning. Raising questions comes a tad bit before
deciding you want to get rid of someone.

 

It was a figure of speech to begin with.

"The sweep, after a victory in the finale of a series in Philadelphia, gives the Cardinals a winning streak of four games on the heels of a disastrous stretch of 18 losses in 24 games."

It doesn't need a qualifier.

Flourish is better suited for observation, not invention of fans' moods.