Maureen Dowd…
…probably should not venture into the world of Yiddish. Oy, vey! It will only give her tsuris instead of nachas. Note to MoDo: not all “kve” words are alike.
Continue reading →Category Archives: Language and grammar
Churchill and speechmaking
Last night when I was engaged in not watching Obama’s SOTU speech, I was thinking of the antidote: Churchill. I even wrote a couple of notes for this post. And funny thing, today I see that commenter “Beverly” had the … Continue reading →
The anti-Christie forces have settled on a meme…
…and the meme is “bully.” Which I think is an interesting word to use for a politician. “Bully” conjures up all the current anti-bullying campaigns that have to do with school and the playground, but politics is not the schoolyard … Continue reading →
Where are you guys from?
Or where are y’all from, if you’re from the South. I took the test and it pegged me quite accurately. It said that I’m from New York City (alternatives, Yonkers or Newark). I guess you can take the girl out … Continue reading →
Obama and Castro: together again
Who would have thought a single comma—or lack thereof—would make such a difference?: Britain’s Sky News posted this bulletin about the Nelson Mandela memorial service at 6:36 p.m. London time Tuesday: “Top stories: World leaders at Mandela tribute, Obama-Castro handshake … Continue reading →
Evidence that the entire world has jumped the shark
The sign language interpreter at Mandela’s service was an imposter. A solemn imposter. Also—fortunately—a safe one, although no one seems to know who he is or how he got there. He was so close to Obama and other world leaders … Continue reading →
Obamacare: let’s not call it cancelled, let’s call it “transitioned”
So much kinder and gentler: One thing that you should be aware of is that word has gone out and Democrats will no longer speak of plans being “cancelled.” They are now all using the euphemism “transitioned to better plans.” … Continue reading →
What’s in a name: healthcare.gov
It has not escaped my notice that the Obamacare website is named “healthcare.gov.” That sounds innocuous enough, so why am I calling anyone’s attention to it? It’s emblematic of the insidious nature of the language around the ACA that we … Continue reading →
Sowell: the inarticulate Republicans
Another excellent article in a long line of them by Thomas Sowell: Boehner is not unique in having a blind spot when it comes to recognizing the importance of articulation and the need to put some serious time and effort … Continue reading →
A nagging question
Is there a solution to nagging? Just stop doing it, says Taffy Brodesser-Akner (that’s quite a moniker, by the way). For most people, easier said than not-done. But of course, I wouldn’t know. I never, never ever nag; I merely … Continue reading →
Here’s a member of the House…
…who seems to get it—Diane Black of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District: If President Obama can unilaterally decide which parts of the law he must enforce, what is to prevent the next president, regardless of party, from unilaterally deciding to not … Continue reading →
The Clintons are reported to be livid at comparisons to Weiner/Abedin (and who knows what “livid” means, anyway?)
Here’s the story: “The Clintons are upset with the comparisons that the Weiners seem to be encouraging ”” that Huma is ”˜standing by her man’ the way Hillary did with Bill, which is not what she in fact did,’’ said … Continue reading →