Timeline for A word to describe the action of rendering a harmful person powerless
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
4 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Mar 28, 2017 at 1:17 | comment | added | user66219 | And the usage has bonus points in this particular context for likening the guy's actions to those of an animal. | |
| Mar 28, 2017 at 1:14 | comment | added | user66219 | @Dougal: My impression is that this usage really is a metaphor for precisely what you describe, based on the belief that neutering an animal eliminates their more aggressive/forceful tendencies and makes them docile. | |
| Mar 27, 2017 at 22:57 | comment | added | Danica | I (a native American English speaker) find the neutered him phrasing funny, somewhat implying that you neutered him the way you would a dog. Neutered his argument would work okay, but in applying it to a living being the first sense is much stronger for me. | |
| Mar 26, 2017 at 6:21 | history | answered | user66219 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |