6 NOVEMBER 1953, Page 7

The Jargon of Doom

By what quirk of euphemism has the English-speaking world decided to find a new employment for the verb long used to des- cribe what midwives do to babies, orators to speeches, bowlers to full-tosses,. knights errant to captive maidens, postmen to, letters and the victims of .hiihwaymen to their purses ? Why, must the .experts always Zalk, in 4 niminy-piminy- way, about;