|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Don't Misunderestimate Bushisms; They Resignate
Jan 15, 11:19 am ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Don't "misunderestimate" Dubya. Those verbal Bushisms are beginning to "resignate" with the American people. Maybe they'll even "embetter" the English language. They may have started out as verbal slip-ups but several of President Bush's mangled phrases found their way on Tuesday to a list of the top words of 2002.
"There are already 11,000 instances of 'misunderestimate' on the Web. The more people use words, whether jocularly or seriously, the more likely they are to enter the language and last for generations," said Paul J.J. Payack, chairman of yourDictionary.com, which compiled the list.
Payack, a man who refuses to misunderestimate the power of a president to shape the language, said, "Our lists attempt to capture those ... innovations in word choice and usage that tell us something about ourselves."
The list of most important words of 2002 was drawn up with help from visitors to the yourDictionary.com Web site and from the site's group of linguists, who monitor the use of the English language around the world.
They include the so-called Bushisms; misunderestimate (to seriously underestimate), embetter (to make emotionally better -- the opposite of embitter), resignate (as in "They said this issue wouldn't resignate with the people") and foreign-handed (as in "I have a foreign-handed foreign policy").
In non-Bushisms, the post-September 11 world gave birth to "threat fatigue," while America's corporate and financial shenanigans introduced the verb to nasdaq (as in "His fortune was nasdaqued"), Nasdaq being the tech-heavy stock market.
There is also that well-known accounting practice disease known as Enronitis, and dot-communism (the conviction that everything on the Web should be free or, at least, paid for by someone else.)
But the most frequently used word on the planet, whatever the native language, is still "OK."
TEd
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
The more people use words, whether jocularly or seriously...like "irregardless," which first appeared in Pogo, didn't it? That word got legs. Still gets on my tits when I hear it, I must say....that and "anyways" (among a handful of others). But surely this is good news? - But the most frequently used word on the planet, whatever the native language, is still "OK."I mean, given what it COULD have been?! It's more embettered than, say, the ol' "f-word." And it's definitely more embettered than "NO," yes?!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
M-W on line lists 1912 as the earliest known date for irregardless.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
misunderestimate (to seriously underestimate), embetter (to make emotionally better -- the opposite of embitter)
They gave them distinct definitions!? I really doubt Bush's use of embetter had anything to do with emotion. He simply misused the words. Geez.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
In reply to:
M-W on line lists 1912 as the earliest known date for irregardless.
Hmmm....Thanks, Faldage. - Well, regardless, I t'ink Pogo prolly made it famous. Or infamous, p'raps.
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,619
Members9,187
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
141
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|