Kafkatrap

English

Etymology

Kafka +‎ trap, coined as a noun kafkatrapping in 2010 by Eric Raymond in reference to Franz Kafka's story The Trial (Der Proceß/Der Prozeß, published 1925), in which a man is accused of crimes that are never specified.

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkæf.kəˌtræp/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑf.kəˌtræp/

Noun

Kafkatrap (plural Kafkatraps)

  1. A sophistical rhetorical device in which any denial by the accused serves as evidence of guilt.
    Jack said Jill was paranoid, and when she told him she was not he just nodded knowingly. It was a perfect Kafkatrap.

Verb

Kafkatrap (third-person singular simple present Kafkatraps, present participle Kafkatrapping, simple past and past participle Kafkatrapped)

  1. To employ a Kafkatrap.

References
  • Blog post in which the term was coined:
  • Usenet newsgroups:
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