Meanings change. And don’t come without cost. People speak out of social need more than any other reason. Part of their need is to meet expectation, to satisfy their image.

But it makes little difference what the word once meant. What the method of construction was. There are few people who know the story of VETing. Otherwise how could Karl Rove be proud to stand before the Federalists wearing starched shirts and praise Harriet Miers for vetting 200 federal judges.

I learned it forty years ago [from Defense College] as a cavalry (not calvary) term meaning:

inspected, and prepared for combat

It had its origin in cavalry and was about the equine (male intact(having testicles) horse). The preparation of the Stallion prior to combat meant calming him (ie, masturbating him) so he would maintain attention without becoming too excited and bolt from the battle.

Since the shift to the Right Coast and our re-invigorated love of the military the term has become common among the talking heads. Since none of them laugh when we hear that the White House Staff Vetted ____ before the hearing, I assume that they don’t know the full history of the term. Or maybe they do, and that explains the stains. Perhaps someday we’ll have an Ovary Office — and no one will know what the oval office was.