Tag: politics

• The many folds of “complicit”

  After Ivanka Trump told CBS that “I don’t know what it means to be complicit,” Merriam-Webster helped her out with its definition: “Helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way.” The dictionary, whose lexicographical sick burns have been lighting up Twitter, observed that complicit also trended back in March, used by Saturday…

  John Kelly

  April 5, 2017

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• “Showdowns” and “filibusters”: on the etymological floor of the US Senate

  There is a partisan showdown in the US Senate. Democrats have the votes to filibuster the nomination of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, preventing the cloture needed to take up his vote. Will Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as he seems poised to do, use the nuclear option? Senate politics doesn’t just brim with conflict—it’s…

  John Kelly

  April 4, 2017

  Feature

• Goats, galloons, gas stations, and Gorsuch: The origin of “chevron”

  Confirmation hearings of US Supreme Court nominees—like Neil Gorsuch’s this week in the Senate—give obscure judicial terms a rare moment in the public spotlight. Consider super precedent, who fights baddies with the power of past decisions. Or stare decisis, which sounds like a long-lost sister to Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” And then there’s Chevron…

  John Kelly

  March 24, 2017

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• The dark and troubled past of “sleazy”

  The earliest record of sleazy likens the human brain to beer left out in the sun.  On Capitol Hill yesterday, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his agency is probing Russian interference in the 2016 US election. During his hearing, Denny Heck, a Democratic representative for Washington, commented on the state of the investigation: “We’re…

  John Kelly

  March 21, 2017

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• Who knew the word “insurance” was so complicated?

  Insurance ultimately comes from the Latin securus, “free from care.”  Health insurance was front and center this week as Speaker of the House Paul Ryan debuted his contentious plan to repeal Obamacare. As Washington continues to deal with the political complexities of health insurance, let’s deal with the etymological complexities of the word insurance.

  John Kelly

  March 10, 2017

  Feature