Look before you leap

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word 

is really a large matter — it's the difference 

between a lightning bug and the lightning." -- Mark Twain

A few days ago President Obama opined: " ... it's clear that we are on the precipice of an achievement that's eluded Congresses and presidents for generations, a achievement that will touch the lives of nearly every American."

His use of the word precipice has been much noted, and the point most often made is that it is a particularly poor choice of words when referring to the health care bill, given that precipice carries the suggestion of danger, and for many people national health care would be dangerous.

From dictionary.com we get these definitions:

1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
2. a situation of great peril: on the precipice of war.

The word's history only makes it worse: 1598, "fall to great depth," from Fr. précipice, from L. præcipitium "a steep place," lit. "a fall or leap," from præceps (gen. præcipitis) "steep, headlong, headfirst," from præ- "forth" + caput "head".

Look before you leap, and think before you speak.