Sarah Palin: Proper English article ...

[Lance]

Use of proper English
ain't required for some folks
by David Rossie

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty
said in rather a scornful tone,
"it means just what I choose it to mean—
neither more nor less." —Through the Looking Glass

Had Sarah Palin, in her collegiate wanderings, ever accidentally found herself in a library, she might have encountered the works of Lewis Carroll, and perhaps learned a lesson. But, then again, perhaps not.

When the lefty media pundits made sport of her recently for her use of a word she'd invented (refudiate) Palin explained the blunder in a subsequent televised soliloquy. It was a simple typographical error made during a Twitter message, she said. Neither more nor less, as Humpty Dumpty might have put it.

Except that it wasn't. Like so many of today's public figures, Palin leaves an electronic trail, and as soon as she made the typo claim, her "fans" gleefully showed a taped recording of an earlier Palin séance with Fox's Sean Hannity in which she had turned two real words — refute and repudiate — into one of her own invention — refudiate.

This led the people at Merriam-Webster to mockingly proclaim "refudiate" the 2010 "word of the summer." Palin, being Palin, took it as a compliment. And why not? Since emerging from Alaskan obscurity as John McCain's vice presidential running mate, she has been party to one public disaster after another: She squashed whatever chance McCain might have had to defeat Obama; she abandoned her job as Alaska's governor amid a whiff of scandal, and she revealed herself in one interview after another as something of an airhead.

And each gaffe made her wealthier and more popular with the nation's mouth-breathers. Well, good for her, it says here. Where is it written that willful ignorance, disregard for facts, incompetence and an undeserved place on the New York Times' best-seller list should be exclusively male prerequisites?

But enough of George W. Bush, proclaimed the second most popular man in America in a recent poll. He may have reigned supreme as the living embodiment of Mrs. Malaprop during his eight years of fronting for Dick Cheney, but he was and is hardly alone in that department.

My nominee for inheritor of the title at this point — MSNBC blabbermouth Chris Matthews. Matthews got off to a good start a couple of weeks ago when he declared that a guests' suggestion "might not win the Duncan Hines seal of approval." He followed that gem most recently in bidding farewell to guest Steny Hoyer, then House Majority Leader with this even more profound observation: "You are truly a great man. And that's an objective statement."

Well, no it wasn't. In fact, it was as subjective a statement as ever there was.

Move over, Sarah and George — you've got competition in the Humpty Dumpty Derby. •

Rossie is the retired associate editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin. You can contact him at drossret@yahoo.com.

[living_stradivarius]

Rewarding stupidity will lead to the downfall of the free world

[HoustonDavid]

It is sad (but true) that a very large number of American people feel more comfortable
"having a beer" with people like Sarah Palin and George W, than "elites" like you, me,
and Barack Obama. Which is not necessarily to say they would like their "beer buddies"
to be the leaders of the world or captains of industry. They just feel more "squishy"
about them because they think they have "more in common" with them, including bad
grammar and word choices.

[Cosima___J]

David, I'm not an "elite" but I'd be quite willing to have a beer with you.

[karlhenning]

I'll have a beer with any elite.

Who'll let me, I suppose.

Cheers,
~Karl

[karlhenning]

. . . My nominee for inheritor of the title at this point — MSNBC blabbermouth Chris Matthews. Matthews got off to a good start a couple of weeks ago when he declared that a guests' suggestion "might not win the Duncan Hines seal of approval." He followed that gem most recently in bidding farewell to guest Steny Hoyer, then House Majority Leader with this even more profound observation: "You are truly a great man. And that's an objective statement."

Well, no it wasn't. In fact, it was as subjective a statement as ever there was.

Hmm. Matthews doesn't seem to understand what the adjective objective means.

Am I surprised?

Well: am I?

Cheers,
~Karl

[Agnes Selby]

Use of proper English
ain't required for some folks
by David Rossie

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty
said in rather a scornful tone,
"it means just what I choose it to mean—
neither more nor less." —Through the Looking Glass

Had Sarah Palin, in her collegiate wanderings, ever accidentally found herself in a library, she might have encountered the works of Lewis Carroll, and perhaps learned a lesson. But, then again, perhaps not.

When the lefty media pundits made sport of her recently for her use of a word she'd invented (refudiate) Palin explained the blunder in a subsequent televised soliloquy. It was a simple typographical error made during a Twitter message, she said. Neither more nor less, as Humpty Dumpty might have put it.

Except that it wasn't. Like so many of today's public figures, Palin leaves an electronic trail, and as soon as she made the typo claim, her "fans" gleefully showed a taped recording of an earlier Palin séance with Fox's Sean Hannity in which she had turned two real words — refute and repudiate — into one of her own invention — refudiate.

This led the people at Merriam-Webster to mockingly proclaim "refudiate" the 2010 "word of the summer." Palin, being Palin, took it as a compliment. And why not? Since emerging from Alaskan obscurity as John McCain's vice presidential running mate, she has been party to one public disaster after another: She squashed whatever chance McCain might have had to defeat Obama; she abandoned her job as Alaska's governor amid a whiff of scandal, and she revealed herself in one interview after another as something of an airhead.

And each gaffe made her wealthier and more popular with the nation's mouth-breathers. Well, good for her, it says here. Where is it written that willful ignorance, disregard for facts, incompetence and an undeserved place on the New York Times' best-seller list should be exclusively male prerequisites?

But enough of George W. Bush, proclaimed the second most popular man in America in a recent poll. He may have reigned supreme as the living embodiment of Mrs. Malaprop during his eight years of fronting for Dick Cheney, but he was and is hardly alone in that department.

My nominee for inheritor of the title at this point — MSNBC blabbermouth Chris Matthews. Matthews got off to a good start a couple of weeks ago when he declared that a guests' suggestion "might not win the Duncan Hines seal of approval." He followed that gem most recently in bidding farewell to guest Steny Hoyer, then House Majority Leader with this even more profound observation: "You are truly a great man. And that's an objective statement."

Well, no it wasn't. In fact, it was as subjective a statement as ever there was.

Move over, Sarah and George — you've got competition in the Humpty Dumpty Derby. •

Rossie is the retired associate editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin. You can contact him at drossret@yahoo.com.

-----------

Mr. Rossie, as a one-time editor, should know that language is not a
"dead dodo" but is alive and kicking. Language is not static and has never
been or I would be writing this in "Neanderthal" or more likely in Latin.

Take for instance the Slavic languages. Why is it that I understand most
of them or at least I can understand the meaning of a spoken sentence.
It is because all Slavonic languages derive from the same source.
The ancient Slavs would call the present Slavic languages bastardised
and incorrect but a living language is "bastardised" and correct at the same time.

Those of us who have studied Latin find an overwhelming number of words
derived from Latin in the English language. Caesar, if he ever came back,
would surely understand present-day Italian. How many French words appear
in the English language properly "bastardised" for English language usage?

Just think how many new words were added to the English language during World
War II. Did anyone before World War II use the words "extermination camps"?
And just think of the simple words table, tablet, tabula, can anyone tell me the
original and correct expression for this word?

Mr. Rossie's article may be amusing but the satire is written at the expense
of someone he obviously disagrees with politically. It shows little understanding
of the fact that language is a living, constantly developing art which we
human animals possess exclusively.

No doubt Sara Palin's "concoction" will creep into the English language
and after a while it will be used whenever the occasion calls for its usage.

[jbuck919]

It is sad (but true) that a very large number of American people feel more comfortable
"having a beer" with people like Sarah Palin and George W,

George W. Bush is the most silver-spooned president we've had since JFK.

[HoustonDavid]

It was commonly understood that people would be "comfortable" having a beer with
George W during his political career, here in Texas, and elsewhere. He certainly was
born with a "silver spoon" in his mouth. Any beers "W" consumed here in the Lone Star
State would have been in Arlington Stadium, the home of the baseball team his father
purchased for him to give him something to do. I understand a Dallas resident tried to
"crash" the party at Bush's new home there, probably trying in vain to join him for a
beer, which he - the driver - probably had too many of already.

[Agnes Selby]

It was commonly understood that people would be "comfortable" having a beer with
George W during his political career, here in Texas, and elsewhere. He certainly was
born with a "silver spoon" in his mouth. Any beers "W" consumed here in the Lone Star
State would have been in Arlington Stadium, the home of the baseball team his father
purchased for him to give him something to do. I understand a Dallas resident tried to
"crash" the party at Bush's new home there, probably trying in vain to join him for a
beer, which he - the driver - probably had too many of already.

See, David, you have just used an evolutionary term in the English language
by citing "crashing" a party. Yet trying to join a party has nothing to do
with the word "crash" nor is a "silver spoon" anything but a piece of metal.
Sarah Palin just simply added a word to the English language. Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

[jbuck919]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

[Agnes Selby]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Really!? Had Obama suddenly stopped looking at his teleprinter
and said the word, you would have been celebrating his intellect
for understanding the flexibility and evolution of the English language.

[Barry]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Wouldn't a reasoned, on-point response have been more appropriate than that, John?

[jbuck919]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Wouldn't a reasoned, on-point response have been more appropriate than that, John?

All right. Agnes' comment implies that Palin made an honest coinage, and a clever one, which is being ridiculed only because it came from her. In fact the word was born of ineptitude and merits the derision of anyone who does not want such an ignoramus to be the next president.

[Cosima___J]

Whoever it was that said the New Oxford American Dictionary was mocking Palin's word "refudiate" was mistaken. Please read this:



Sarah Palin’s ‘refudiate’ wins Oxford dictionary’s Word of the Year
By Christina Wilkie - 11/15/10 07:39 PM ET


On Monday, the New Oxford American Dictionary named “refudiate,” a word first made famous by Palin this past summer, its 2010 Word of the Year.


Expect next year to see the dictionary include the following entry:

“Refudiate —verb — used loosely to mean ‘reject’: She called on them to refudiate the proposal to build a mosque. [origin — blend of refute and repudiate]”

In a statement Monday, editors from the dictionary said that based on “the different contexts in which Palin has used ‘refudiate,’ we have concluded that neither ‘refute’ nor ‘repudiate’ seems consistently precise, and that ‘refudiate’ more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of ‘reject.’ ”

[piston]

It could have been a Freudian slip -- to refuse to agree even though it's convincing and logical: to refudiate. I kind of like it.

[jbuck919]

Whoever it was that said the New Oxford American Dictionary was mocking Palin's word "refudiate" was mistaken. Please read this:



Sarah Palin’s ‘refudiate’ wins Oxford dictionary’s Word of the Year
By Christina Wilkie - 11/15/10 07:39 PM ET


On Monday, the New Oxford American Dictionary named “refudiate,” a word first made famous by Palin this past summer, its 2010 Word of the Year.


Expect next year to see the dictionary include the following entry:

“Refudiate —verb — used loosely to mean ‘reject’: She called on them to refudiate the proposal to build a mosque. [origin — blend of refute and repudiate]”

In a statement Monday, editors from the dictionary said that based on “the different contexts in which Palin has used ‘refudiate,’ we have concluded that neither ‘refute’ nor ‘repudiate’ seems consistently precise, and that ‘refudiate’ more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of ‘reject.’ ”

Lexicographers are like soothsayers. It's not enough that they be right--they want to be loved too.

[NancyElla]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Perhaps. But it would be a mistake to misunderestimate either Palin or her appeal to the anti-intellectual majority of Americans.

[HoustonDavid]

Agnes, I was being both facetious and literal when I said a Dallas resident "crashed"
the new Bush home in Dallas. Apparently, an intoxicated citizen drove their car through
the gates and onto the Bush property. They probably weren't looking for a beer seeing
as how they already had more than enough already. I will forgive the Oz press for not
repeating the story in your SMH.

[HoustonDavid]

When the lefty media pundits made sport of her recently for her use of a word she'd invented (refudiate) Palin explained the blunder in a subsequent televised soliloquy. It was a simple typographical error made during a Twitter message, she said. Neither more nor less, as Humpty Dumpty might have put it.

Except that it wasn't. Like so many of today's public figures, Palin leaves an electronic trail, and as soon as she made the typo claim, her "fans" gleefully showed a taped recording of an earlier Palin séance with Fox's Sean Hannity in which she had turned two real words — refute and repudiate — into one of her own invention — refudiate.

Ya cain't have it both ways: it was either a typo or an invention. I'm inclined to uncredit -
that's another new one, folks - her with enough word-smithing ability to invent new words.
The real word smiths of this world learn how to write and spell first, then invent new
constructions and add new words to the language by design. It's no accident.

[Agnes Selby]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Perhaps. But it would be a mistake to misunderestimate either Palin or her appeal to the anti-intellectual majority of Americans.

----------


I am sorry to hear you consider the majority of your fellow Americans
anti-intellectual. Facts point to just the opposite. Inventiveness, science,
progress in medicine, excellent literature, good plays, just to mention
a few American achievements must therefore be credited only to those of your own
political persuasion.

But I suppose if people don't agree with you they must be stupid. Just don't advertise
it too much, the world might believe it.

Greetings from Australia,
Agnes.

[Wallingford]

I won't cut Palin any slack till she concocts with something on the order of "Gran'fa Grigg had a pig."

[Agnes Selby]

I won't cut Palin any slack till she concocts with something on the order of "Gran'fa Grigg had a pig."

It could happen, best buy her a teleprinter. America will then be
safe from any further serious linguistic concoctions:

[NancyElla]

Had it been
anyone else but Sarah Palin, Americans would have been celebrating the
addition of a new word to the English language.

That's ludiculous.

Perhaps. But it would be a mistake to misunderestimate either Palin or her appeal to the anti-intellectual majority of Americans.

----------


I am sorry to hear you consider the majority of your fellow Americans
anti-intellectual. Facts point to just the opposite. Inventiveness, science,
progress in medicine, excellent literature, good plays, just to mention
a few American achievements must therefore be credited only to those of your own
political persuasion.

But I suppose if people don't agree with you they must be stupid. Just don't advertise
it too much, the world might believe it.

Greetings from Australia,
Agnes.

It is common knowledge in the U.S. that anyone who aspires to high elected office needs to come across as "jes' reg'lar folks" and avoid at all costs any appearance of intellectualism. Why? Because a significant segment (I would argue a majority) of the electorate is hostile to and distrustful of intellectuals. This cuts across party lines and across income levels. On a program I saw tonight (I expect it was a rebroadcast from an earlier date), the comic Stephen Colbert interviewed Bernard-Henri Levy. He asked him, incredulously, how he, as a philosopher, a man who engaged in public intellectual activity, could be treated as a rock star in Europe, pointing out that in the U.S. we consider public intellectualism on a par with public urination--we don't want to see it!

I think that Palin is probably crazy like a fox--she plays to the anti-intellectual strain in the U.S. and she does it brilliantly. Her family life is like a soap opera, and she displays it proudly. Why not? Soap operas are wildly popular. Her daughter gained fame with a long stint on one of the most popular TV shows in years--Dancing with the Stars. I recently heard a recorded talk given by Robert Reich, Sec. of Labor under Pres. Clinton, an economist, pundant (to use Palin's latest neologism), and card-carrying intellectual. He asked the audience (probably a university group, I'm not sure) how many of them watched "Dancing with the Stars". When only 5 hands in the large auditorium went up, he proceeded to point out to the rest how totally out of touch they (we) are with the mainstream of American society. He's right.

I'm not saying the U.S. doesn't have intellectuals, just that the majority of the American public doesn't really like them, respect them, trust them, or share their interests. Although I disagree with many of Tony Scalia's political and judicial opinions, I expect we have more interests in common than either of us have with the average viewer of Dancing with the Stars. If Justice Scalia ever decides to run for elected office, he would do well to play up his love of duck hunting and play down his love of opera.

[jbuck919]

I think that Palin is probably crazy like a fox--she plays to the anti-intellectual strain in the U.S. and she does it brilliantly.

Not to mention that the part comes naturally to her.

[karlhenning]

I think that Palin is probably crazy like a fox--

My turn to refudiate LOL

Cheers,
~Karl

[lennygoran]

>I'm not saying the U.S. doesn't have intellectuals, just that the majority of the American public doesn't really like them, respect them, trust them, or share their interests.<

Where's Adlai Stevenson when we need him! Regards, Len

[HoustonDavid]

My turn to "pudiate" NancyElla. Us brain surgeon/opera writin'/poet lariats gotta
stick together.

[karlhenning]

Darn tootin', David!

Cheers,
~Karl

[karlhenning]

Sarah Palin's effort to defuse controversy backfires with 'blood libel' comment

Of course, it may simply be that Ms Palin has no talent for tamping furor . . . .

Cheers,
~Karl