Enzyme, can it be...
...that 'begs the question' can now be accepted as meaning 'raises the issue' (as I used above) because this is how the majority uses it?

Denotative meaning surely only goes so far in defining a concept in language; a phrase means what it is said to mean. I'm thinking of the term 'McJob' - McDonald's tried to get the OED to change their definition of it a couple of years ago to better reflect the fact that jobs at Maccy-D's have good prospects. The OED said it was not their job to change meaning, only to record meaning (and application).

Does that argument apply here? We use 'begs the question' in a certain way, so can't it mean that?
(Land of Green Ginger It's dreamy weather, Thu 9 Apr 2009, 10:51, Reply)