Talking of trilemmas

At what point does a technical word or phrase acquire the critical mass (a case in point) to make the transition from specialist usage to common parlance? Yesterday saw the first appearance in the British media of the trilemma, a concept formerly confined to Christian apologetics or monetary theory. Harvard professor and telly-don Niall Ferguson brought the term to light in a dazzling lecture to the Centre for Policy Studies last night. Not only did Ferguson establish his credentials as the most compelling intellectual of the centre-right, he may also have succeeded in bringing the trilemma into mainstream political language, where it looks set to be widely adopted (and adapted). Michael White puts it on a high-wire in today's Guardian; in the Indie  Deborah Orr applies the device to the 'Daily Mail problem' of rights and responsibilities. At the Centre for Policy Studies we'll be tracking the trilemma's progress over the coming weeks and months - trilemma-spotters welcome, email [email protected] - or tell me here at Centre Right.