Bushism

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"But Iraq has—have got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future." [1]
"But Iraq has—have got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future." [1]

A Bushism is any of a number of peculiar words, phrases, pronunciations, malapropisms, semantic or linguistic errors and gaffes that have occurred in the public speaking of United States President George W. Bush and, before that, of his father George H. W. Bush.[1][2] The term (a neologism) has become part of popular folklore, and is the basis of a number of websites and published books. It is often used to caricature the two presidents.

Contents

Some common characteristics of Bushisms include:

  • Use of words that sound similar to intended words but are either inappropriate for the context (i.e. malapropism, such as "nucular power pants" instead of "nuclear power plants"[3]), or completely alter the meaning of the sentence, such as using "devaluation" instead of "deflation" (which "caused confusion in the currency markets"),[4] OPEC instead of APEC,[5] or Austria instead of Australia[5]
  • Constructing neologisms such as "tacular"[6][7][8] (a portmanteau of "tactical" and "nucular") and "misunderestimated" ("misunderstood" and "underestimated")[9]
  • Occasional use of spoonerisms such as "mexed missages" (mixed messages) and "terriers and bariffs" (barriers and tariffs)[10]
  • Pluralization of, or addition of articles to, familiar terms ("suiciders",[11] "Internets",[12][13] and "the Google"[14])
  • Using informal and non-standard language to describe the job of the presidency such as "I'm a commander guy,"[15][16] or "I'm the decider"[17]
  • Redundancy intended to add emphasis but which instead obfuscates the message, such as "We had a chance to visit with Teresa Nelson who's a parent, and a mom or a dad"[18] or "If you want to help, give cash money to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army"[19]
  • Change of subject mid-sentence, such as, "I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport"[20]
  • Wrong word order within a sentence, such as, "give my chance a plan to work"[21]
  • Explaining the obvious, such as, "I appreciate preservation. It's what you do when you run for President, you've got to preserve"[22]

Some columnists, including the late Molly Ivins (the co-author of a book of Bushisms), have suggested that Bush may have difficulty speaking "Washington English," and that he may be trying to cover his accent by over-emphasizing words. Some have hypothesized that Bush is not familiar with some of the words that he feels he must use as a president.[23]

Bush's misuse of the English language has spawned dozens of books that document the phenomenon. The majority of these books are written by Slate magazine editor Jacob Weisberg. The first Bushism book, simply titled Bushisms, was released in 1992. The Bushism books have had a good reception around the world, with editions released in Germany, France, and Italy placing on best seller lists.[24]

Some of the titles released are:

  • Bushisms (1992)
  • George W. Bushisms : The Slate Book of The Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President (2001)
  • More George W. Bushisms: More of Slate's Accidental Wit and Wisdom of Our 43rd President (2002)
  • Still More George W. Bushisms: Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican (2003)
  • Ultimate Bushisms (2004)
  • The Deluxe Election Edition Bushisms: The First Term, in His Own Special Words (2004)
  • George W. Bushisms V: New Ways to Harm Our Country (2005)
  • The Ultimate George W. Bushisms: Bush at War (with the English Language) (2007)

In addition, multiple calendars have been introduced, with a Bushism for each remaining day in Bush's term.

A poem composed entirely of Bushisms titled "Make the Pie Higher" has become popular on the Internet. Each line contains some sort of grammatical error, logical error, or unusual usage and is said to have been uttered by George W. Bush. Although its origin is uncertain, it has been attributed to Washington Post political cartoonist and satirist Richard Thompson. The poem has been criticized as apocryphal. However, the Urban Legends Reference Pages at Snopes.com have verified all but the line "I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity" as having been spoken by Bush at one point or another during his presidency.[25] The site has also noted that the president made reference to "mential losses", not "mental losses" as the poem claims. This phrase was possibly in reference to missile launches.

  • "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."[26]
  • "Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"[26][27]
  • "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."[26][27]
  • "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."[26][28]
  • "Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die."[26][29]
  • "I think that the vice president is a person reflecting a half-glass-full mentality."[26][30]
  • "You're working hard to put food on your family."[25][31]
  • "Too many good doctors are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."[26][32]
  • "Families are where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."[26][33]
  • "This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mential losses."[26][25]
  • "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."[34][35]
  • "Childrens do learn." [36]
  • "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again." [37]

  1. ^ Bines, Jonathan; Editors of the New Republic (May 1992). Bushisms: President George Herbert Walker Bush in His Own Words. Workman Pub Co. ISBN 1-56305-318-7. 
  2. ^ George H.W. Bushisms. About: Political Humor. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
  3. ^ G.W. Bush. Speech Chicago, Illinois (September 30, 2003).
  4. ^ Bush gaffe hits yen. BBC (2002-02-18). Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
  5. ^ a b "APEC? OPEC? Thanks Austria". The Herald Sun (September 7, 2007).
  6. ^ Dana Milbank (May 5, 2000). What's on W's Mind? Hard To Say.. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
  7. ^ Nancy Gibbs (Feb 14, 2000). McCain's Moment. Time. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  8. ^ Ben Fenton (Feb 4, 2000). Bush image damaged by his slips of the tongue. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
  9. ^ G.W. Bush. Speech Bentonville, Arkansas (November 6, 2000).
  10. ^ G.W. Bush. Speech Rochester, New York (January 7, 2001).
  11. ^ President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel Participate in Joint Press Availability. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary (May 23, 2006).
  12. ^ Transcript of the third Gore-Bush presidential debate. Commission on Presidential Debates (2000-10-17). Retrieved on 2006-12-23.
  13. ^ Transcript of the second Bush-Kerry presidential debate. Commission on Presidential Debates (2004-10-08). Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  14. ^ Bush says he uses “the Google”. Interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.. Think Progress (2006-10-23). Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  15. ^ President Bush Discusses War on Terror, Economy with Associated General Contractors of America. The White House (May 2007).
  16. ^ The official White House transcript states that President Bush said "a commander guy" but numerous reporters and the official stenographer at the event quote him as saying "the commander guy." See: Bush is A commander guy, not THE commander guy. Reuters (May 4, 2007).
  17. ^ Bush: 'I'm the decider' on Rumsfeld. CNN (April 18, 2006).
  18. ^ President Bush Discusses the "No Child Left Behind Act" in Florida. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary (Sept 9 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
  19. ^ White House Press Conference (September 2, 2005).
  20. ^ President Opens Reagan National Airport. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary (Oct 2, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
  21. ^ Bush ism on Charlie Rose - "Give my chance a plan to work". Retrieved on 2007-05-02.
  22. ^ Remarks by the President at the Radio-Television Correspondents Association 57th Annual Dinner. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
  23. ^ Kathleen Parker (August 23, 2006). Intellectually curious George. Townhall.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  24. ^ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-0025243-5478473?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=bushisms&x=0&y=0
  25. ^ a b c Make the Pie Higher!. Snopes.com (2002). Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jacob Weisberg. The Complete Bushisms. Slate Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  27. ^ a b Remarks by the President at the Radio-Television Correspondents Association 57th Annual Dinner. Office of the Press Secretary (March 29, 2001). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  28. ^ President Signs Defense Bill. Office of the Press Secretary (August 5, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  29. ^ President Bush Meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Office of the Press Secretary (December 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  30. ^ Insurgents Launch Attacks on Shiite Pilgrims as They Celebrate Holy Day; Iraq Strategy; Story of a Champion. CNN (January 30, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  31. ^ George W. Bush. Speech Nashua, N.H., USA (Jan. 27, 2000). Retrieved on 2007-03-28
  32. ^ President's Remarks at a Victory 2004 Rally in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Office of the Press Secretary (September 6, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  33. ^ George W. Bush. Speech LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA (Oct. 18, 2000).
  34. ^ The 50 Dumbest Things President Bush Said in His First Term. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  35. ^ President Bush speaks at Townsend Elementary School in Tennessee. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary (February 21, 2001). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  36. ^ Bush: No Child Left Behind Is Working. Washington Post Newspaper (September 26, 2007).
  37. ^ Bushism of the Day. Slate.com (September 18, 2002).

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
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George W. Bush
Family Laura Bush · George H. W. Bush · Barbara Bush · Jenna Bush · Barbara Bush
Life and politics Early life · Professional life · Religious faith · Governor of Texas · Presidency (First Term · Second Term)
Policies Foreign policy · Domestic policy · Bush Doctrine · Economic policy · Compassionate conservatism
Perceptions Public perception · Bushisms · Criticism · Movement to impeach · Fictionalized portrayals · As the subject of books and films
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