Words: amputee, n.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.PAUL MCCARTNEY'S "Yesterday" has been much recorded, but a version that receives little airplay in our politically correct era is an off- the-cuff 1974 one by John Lennon: "Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be / 'Cos now I'm an amputee."
The verb to amputate, from Latin, surfaced in the 17th century as a gardening term. Sir Thomas Browne later noted that the Amazons amputated the right breast better to fire arrows, and one of Johnson's longest, most grisly citations describes such an operation upon the limbs. Amputee emerged in Edwardian times, when St Bartholomew's noted a song worthy of Lennon: "Put the patient both to bed, and then, perhaps, we'll see / Which is the amputated part and which the amputee."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments