I was watching Dan Rather on Letterman tonight, and he came out with one of his famous sayings that I rather liked (ahem): In a reply to a question from David Letterman about why John McCain was still so upset with President* Bush, he replied that Bush and his campaign had made some scurrilous accusations against McCain's family during the South Carolina primary. Letterman joked that this was one time he wished he remembered what scurrilous meant, and Rather responded: "Well, when you don't want to say anything you use a twelve cylinder word . I like that. "Twelve cylinder word." Kind of like the words we toss around here all the time!!

Then, when talking about the incompetence of the FBI in the Tim McVeigh case, Rather offered that "Pretty soon people are going to think the FBI couldn't track an elephant in a field full of snow if it was bleeding." Also likeable for a change! A real departure for folks who tuned in to Rather on US Election Night this past November
and heard the chain of distorted Texan/Southern imagery he lugubriously spewed out all evening long (though interesting nevertheless).

So I thought it would be interesting to create a thread to post any worthy new Dan Ratherisms I encounter along the way...noteworthy either for their quality, or because they are the usual laughable groaners! And I invite anyone else who likes to do the same. And if anyone happens to remember any Dan Ratherisms that "struck a bell" offhand (though I don't know why anyone would unless they're a Rather-watching junkie) please post them here as well. Happy Rather-Watching!