Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (1994), tracing the phrase to World War II, notes its ubiquity and concludes that "despite its apparent lack of logic, it is not an error." Fowler's Modern English Usage defines a near miss simply as "a miss that was nearly a hit." http://www.cjr.org/tools/lc/nearmiss.asp
Guest
02-Apr-2007 21:36
That's not a near miss, it's a near HIT. If they collide, then it's a near miss!!!!
