Sir, - Readers who know their onions have written to you before, beseeching you not to devalue the phrase "begging the question" by using it, as you do in your second leader ("Luas Change", October 21st), to mean "prompting the question".
Begging the question is a logical deceit which consists of assuming something, and then pretending to have demonstrated it. An example would be the taking of a vote in order to determine whether a minority has been fairly treated or not. - Yours, etc.,
Quin,
Co Clare.