United States v. Plain English
In the case of Watson v. United States, the Supreme Court opted for the “everyday meaning” of the word “use” to rule in favor of Michael Watson who, the government argued, used a gun during a drug-trafficking crime. The court figured that “receiving” a gun is not the same as “using” it.
From the opinion, written by Justice Souter:
A boy who trades an apple to get a granola bar is sensibly said to use the apple, but one would never guess which way this commerce actually flowed from
hearing that the boy used the granola.
Also from the opinion:
. . . law depends on respect for language . . . .
