Virgin America, the new discount airline, has adopted one of the hotel industry's most annoying ploys. It calls those who sit in its seats "guests" instead of what they really are: customers.

Misleading language of this kind is a favorite tool for people who try to sway public opinion, whether through advertising or PR. Linguistics professor George Lakoff calls this process "framing," or "getting language that fits your world view."

It's not always dishonest. When it is, ...