An idiom does not own the words inside of it. You're still allowed to use the same words for their literal meaning. Sure, the word 'for' is omitted, but that's acceptable usage.
Note that "begging" in this context is likely a mistranslation in the first place. Therefore using it to actually mean "begging for" is less incorrect than the idiom.
Yes, it's no worse than beg your pardon or beg forgiveness. In fact, omitting "for" is so common after the word "beg" that it could be considered standard (correct) English.
There are many terms that 99% of people use incorrectly and they're still incorrect.
In this case, "begs the question" is what something else is called. By conflating two things you get sloppy thinking. Even may people think they know what they're saying or hearing but they don't because there are two distinct things they can't tell apart. Also, it's a less intuitive way to say "suggests" the question. Begs implies something about unequal power structures, and requests, etc.
I understand that I need to be aware of what people might mean, but I'm in tech - I already see that everywhere. Maybe it's a regionalism but many people here call an entire computer a hard drive. I need to know what they want even though they can't ask for it. But yet, they're wrong and there's a lot that could go wrong for them because of their sloppy language.
Rather than fighting for your right to be wrong, why not just be right?
> There are many terms 99% of people use incorrectly and they're still incorrect.
Incorrect based on what standard? What standard for language correctness exists besides consensus?
> In this case, "begs the question" is what something else is called. By conflating two things you get sloppy thinking.
"Bug" means an error in computer software; it also means "insect". Neither is wrong. Terms mean the same thing all the time and context disambiguates perfectly fine.
> many people here call an entire computer a hard drive
Not a good analogy for several reasons: (1) both of those are from the same field so context can't disambiguate, (2) there's no widespread consensus that "hard drive" means "computer". In practice most people would misunderstand.
> Rather than fighting for your right to be wrong, why not just be right?
Wow, I don't mean to be rude but this sounds extremely smug to me. I'm not fighting for my right to be wrong, because I'm not wrong.
> Incorrect based on what standard? What standard for language correctness exists besides consensus?
Incorrect based on the definition of the word/phrase. Just because most Americans say "I could care less", for example, doesn't mean it's being used/said correctly, and saying that it's ok because language is fluid doesn't get around the fact that it is incorrect.
> Incorrect based on the definition of the word/phrase.
You are missing my point. WHAT definition? Where does it come from? Says who?
(By the way, if we're going to trust definitions, Google's lists the definition of "beg the question" that you are advocating for only third. https://imgur.com/a/zh6bJ )
> WHAT definition? Where does it come from? Says who?
The literal meaning of the words. If you couldn't care less, your caring is at zero. If you could care less you must currently care more than zero.
But that's not even really our point...
Rather than playing this silly game where you declare the majority view (Yay 51%) correct, why not just avoid things that people use incorrectly? Why go our of your way to join them? Most everyone who'd use the incorrect form would understand the correct form, so you're not even making yourself more understandable to them.
Why are you so fixated on "Begs the Question" that you don't use any other combination of words from the entire language to describe that phenomenon? The odds that you independently arrived at this phrase are infinitesimal.
Based on the part names the person wants to refer to. If you place an order and get exactly what you asked for but not what you want or need, you're wrong.
> What standard for language correctness exists besides consensus?
How many of us need to agree your name is Susan before you'll agree and get your ID corrected?
> Neither is wrong. Terms mean the same thing all the time and context disambiguates perfectly fine.
Well, not perfectly fine but we live with it. Why go out of your way to justify and propagate these errors?
> Not a good analogy for several reasons: (1) both of those are from the same field so context can't disambiguate,
Sure it can. You want your data so I know which piece you must mean.
> (2) there's no widespread consensus that "hard drive" means "computer". In practice most people would misunderstand.
There seems to be here. Maybe your area is more technically sophisticated or maybe they just make other mistakes.
> I'm not fighting for my right to be wrong, because I'm not wrong.
You can call "not right" whatever you wish. I'm not talking about taking back your culture's words or anything; I'm talking about technical cases where there's a clear right answer, and a vast assortment of answers that will not accomplish what you wish or will do it sub-optimally.
> I don't mean to be rude but this sounds extremely smug to me.
Is it also smug to be sure that 2+2 is 4?
I'm not saying you need to attack people for being wrong, I'm just asking why you feel the need to join them as opposed to finding an actually correct thing and saying that. For people who don't know the names of fallacies, "begs the question" holds no special meaning and could be replaced by a multitude of phrases that would communicate clearly to experts and lay-people.
When I do small consulting gigs I always try to be liberal in what I accept - I'll back up your data off of whatever you call it. But I always try to use correct terminology myself and I correct clients with "That's an X, if you ask for a Y you'll end up getting this other thing that's not quite what you want." (But I wait for the verification part of the meeting and I don't make a big deal of it.)
