PolitiQuips
Obama-isms Target of Word Police
Government is a leading polluter of the American language so it's only fitting that bureaucratic terms are primary targets of linguistic reformers.
Government is a leading polluter of the American language so it's only fitting that bureaucratic terms are primary targets of linguistic reformers.
A new list of words nominated for permanent exile points to POTUS 44 (Barack Obama, the 44th President Of The United States) as the chief offender over the past year. During his short time in office, Obama has introduced a monstrous wave of bureaucratese in his zeal to stamp a new imprint on the presidency.
The authority for this condemnation is a group of word watchers at Lake Superior State University at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., which for 35 years has identified words and phrases for inclusion in an annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.
The Obama administration's economic stimulus program and other initiatives were the source of nine of the odious expressions:
"In these economic times ..." was judged to be "overused for everything from trying to market products as inexpensive to simply explaining any and all behavior during the recession."
"Stimulus" made the list because "everything in the news is about the stimulus packages ..."
"Shovel-ready" prompted the comment that "when something dies, it, too, is shovel-ready for burial and so I get confused about the meaning."
As for "toxic assets", one judge asked, "Whatever happened to simply 'bad stocks,' 'debts,' or 'loans'?" But without the term, we wouldn't have that catchy acronyn, TARP.
Obama revived an old unofficial government term - "czars" - by appointing so many of them, and created a new buzzword, "transparent" (or "transparency"), which quickly qualified for oblivion because it wasn't put into practice.
In his public statements, former professor Obama often referred to what otherwise might be called a lesson as a "teachable moment." Said one critic: "This phrase is used to describe everything from potty-training to politics. It's time to vote it out!"
"Too big to fail" begged credulity because, "We'll never know if a company is too big to fail, unless somehow it does fail, and then it will no longer be too big to fail."
"Obama-prefix or roots?" was cited by members of the word banishment committee, who "were surprised that no one Obama-nominated" any terms such as Obamanomics, Obamanation, Obamafication, Obamacare, Obamalicious, Obamaland ... "We say Obamanough already."
Previous administrations also have contributed to the junkpile of linguistic horrors. Here's a sampling:
George W. Bush -- "Shock and Awe" and "Homeland Security."
Bill Clinton -- "I feel your pain."
George H. W. Bush -- "Read my lips."
Ronald Reagan -- "There you go" and "Reaganomics."
Jimmy Carter -- "Nuc-u-lar."
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