Saw Principal Repeat Key Word from Famous Professor without Citation I was looking at a principal's Message to the School page on her school website, and I noticed that she repeated a key phrase from a TED talk by a noted educator. This principal is using the key phrase in the same way as the TED talk speaker and is echoing the TED talk speaker, but this principal did not mention either the TED talk or the original noted educator who coined and popularized this phrase. Should I inform the TED talk speaker that she is being plagiarized? Is this a case of plagiarism? I mentioned this seeming case of plagiarism to the principal who tersely "thanked me for my viewpoint" and then ignored my comment. Should I just move on?
Really a little more context is needed here but the term one needs to pay attention to here is "educator". This TED educator has coined a phrase with the intention that that phrase and its related concept is passed on and used for the purposes of education. If the phrase relates to a general educational concept then I see no reason for the principal not to utilise it in the way that it is meant to be. If, however, this phrase relates to a specific original idea which links to original research then yes, citations would need to follow. In such a case, I would mention it directly to the principal. However:

I would assume good faith on the part of your principal and that she has seen the video and used the phrase as intended without surreptitiously putting a crimp in her career if rumbled. I think that when one is in any doubt about another colleague's plagiarism, assume a higher motive. 

If I were you, I would just leave it, but if it really bugs you, you can casually mention [in person rather than in writing] that you appreciated the Message to the School and you saw a TED video which mentions the same phrase and you agreed with and appreciated its application. This way the principal should feel that her Message was appreciated, and that you are taking time to view sources around the same field. It may also have the effect of making sure that any future cases of possible 'plagiarism' get thought through a little better, cited or credited if necessary.