In the movie review article of Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” in
the New Yorker magazine (November 14) titled “the Man in
Charge,” there was the following sentence: “A single scene with
Robert F. Kennedy in the early sixties, when, as Attorney
General, he was Hoover’s boss—stands in for Hoover’s relations
with the various Presidents who longed to be rid of him but
didn’t dare show him the door. Hoover tells Kennedy that he has
evidence of his brother’s sexual escapades with dubious women,
and his job remains intact.” I noticed the writer (David Demby)
used the phrase “various Presidents longed to “be rid of”
Hoover,” instead of “get rid of” Hoover and show him the door.
As I checked the difference of meaning between “be rid of” and
“get rid of” with a dictionary at hand (Sanseido’s The Wisdom
Dictionary), it defines “be rid of” as “be released from
nuisance / trouble,” and “get rid of” as “remove (expel)
nuisance / trouble.” Oxford Dictionary also defines “get rid of”
as “take action so as to be free” and “be ri