> [...] a “limited hangout”.

>> The words are non-intuitive

Yeah.

"Incomplete mea culpa", "Incomplete admission", "Incomplete penance", "Incomplete contrition", "Incomplete remorse", actually say "the thing" instead of using a new random phrase.

I like "incomplete contrition" or "gas light remorse".

I suppose it could be that if one’s intent is to mislead, then obfuscating the name of a technique specifically meant for that purpose is a feature, not a bug.

> actually say "the thing" instead of using a new random phrase

Apparently the phrase is very old, pre-dating the internet. It came out of the CIA.

In this context hangout is a clipped form of "letting it all hang out"

So it's saying you're putting on the appearance of letting it all hang out, but the information revealed is limited.

I think it's based on the phrase hung out to dry. This is a limited hangout where you may still be damp.