Oxymorons

[Chris S]

ICU - a Glaswegian intensive care unit.

I think that's actually one for the Uxbridge English Dictionary.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yeah that civil doesn't mean courteous but refers to civilians as it's not between countries but tribes within a country.

Civilians, people who are not armed forces in a war 😀

 

[Dogtrousers]

Civil war

After you Oliver.
No, after you Charles.

 

[markemark]

Civilians, people who are not armed forces in a war 😀

Civilian, not a member of the armed forces. To distinguish between the general populous and the state army. Picking up a gun and starting to fight does not stop you being a civilian.

 

[Chris S]

Friendly Fire.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Civilian, not a member of the armed forces. To distinguish between the general populous and the state army. Picking up a gun and starting to fight does not stop you being a civilian.

Are you saying the American and English civil wars did not involved organised armed forces fighting each other?

 

[Dogtrousers]

According to the link below the "civil" in civil war has nothing to do with membership or otherwise of the armed forces. (After all, the combatants frequently are, or have been, fully organised armies - think of the New Model Army in the English CW or the Union and Confederate armies in the US CW). It means "relating to citizens" in that the combatants are all citizens of the same country.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/civil-meaning-why-is-it-called-civil-war

 

[markemark]

Are you saying the American and English civil wars did not involved organised armed forces fighting each other?

The English were a rebellion according to one side. The other side it was a war between counties and as such not a civilian war.