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I have to admit I have a weakness for certain series, especially those involving detectives or doctors. My most recent finding has been Perception. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s a completely mind-blowing series, but still I worked my way through the first season pretty fast.
In one of the episodes there was a dialogue:
– He should have had an attorney present.
– They mirandized him twice! He denied representation. It was a by-the-book interrogation.
Now, I was aware of Miranda Warning – you know, ‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law, etc.’, but I never knew it has been turned into a verb! The ever-so-flexible English language never ceases to amaze me!
And it’s not just a one-off, here are a few more examples:
– “Having been a federal prosecutor, I think this rush to Mirandize cost us valuable intelligence in terms of other plots that may be out there,” McCaul told reporters on Capitol Hill (Huffington Post).
– Failure to Mirandize Does Not Violate Constitution or ‘Miranda’ (law.com)
– Timothy McVeigh: killed 168 people. Injured over 800 more. Was motivated by political convictions. He was arrested, Mirandized, charged, appointed with legal counsel, and tried in a civilian court (The Economist).
Confessions of the Linguistic Spy 