A skunked term is a word that becomes difficult to use because it is transitioning from one meaning to another…

I was a reporter on the ground of a war zone, and in the chaos she had agreed to stop and speak to me on camera. “So,” I led, “how’s the city holding up?”

“Oh, it’s literally a nightmare! Just the enormity of what’s happening, our troops being decimated left and right. But we’ll hopefully turn the tide back.”

“What were you doing when the first bombs hit?”

“I was just coming back from my biweekly book club downtown. We collect factoids and discuss current events, this whole situation has us bemused.”

“I presume you were discussing the crisis?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely a moot point, so everyone’s got a billion of her own opinions. I doubt you’ll find a disinterested party, which only begs the question though.” She shifted a bit. “Anyhow I was just perusing our next book on the streetcar, the one which has met with fulsome praise from the critics, when I heard this loud explosion and all the lights blinked out. I was nonplussed. And when the lights came back on and I saw the rest of the car was blown to bits, I was mortified. But that’s when we fortuitously happened upon the station and I was able to run for cover.”

“Irregardless, it really speaks to the tragedy of modern warfare.” I thanked her and she hurried on her way. “This is Julia Tan for Russet Star News, we go back to Jeff Ostermeyer in the studio,” I added as my colleague cut the camera feed.