Misleading claims by Harper were called out, but they weren't called "lies" outright. Pinocchio is a proxy word, like "nose-stretcher," which derives from the same fairy tale; using it implicitly recognizes the power and finality of deploying the word "lie" itself. Remember, this is the New York Times, one of the most traditionalist and respected news sources in the English language. The ridiculously hyperbolic Dan Rather suggested this week that when Trump lies, journalists should meet it with "cold steel, oak and iron." Ten years from now, the New York Times will be the New York Times.

Source: CBC News January 28, 2017 10:18 UTC