Tag: politics
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What is the “vice” in “vice president”?
In what many are calling a last-ditch effort to shake up the campaign, this week Ted Cruz announced former Republican presidential candidate and Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential nominee should he win his party’s nomination. For many, Cruz’s pick is raising lots of questions, given that it’s now mathematically impossible for him to…
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“Feisty”: you can blame it on the dog
As many are describing it, last night’s debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Brooklyn, New York was “feisty.” I’ve read others characterize the candidates’ sharp exchanges as a “dogfight” and full of “hot air,” but these descriptions are just as “feisty,” if we look to the surprising etymology of this word. Into…
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The etymological underworld of “phony”
A few weeks back, Donald Trump caused a stir over his use of a certain p word. That’s a topic we generally treat on Strong Language, where I recently published a piece dealing with some not unrelated matters in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Speaking of Shakespeare, be sure to swing by Shakespeare Confidential if you haven’t…
Mashed Radish 