Broadcast journalism

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 12:09 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I could swear I heard Obama say "wrecked havoc" in one of his speeches
> last week.
>
> Yup! Sure enough, it was there:
>
> http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-obamas-choice-of-words
> http://www.maclife.com/forums/post/1724626

The official White House transcript has "wreaked havoc":

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-a-discussion-jobs-and-economy-charlotte-north-carolina

But it does sound like "wrecked" in the video (at 3:45):

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/promoting-jobs-and-growth-through-innovation

The White House transcribers have quoted Obama as saying "wreck havoc"
in the past:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-investments-clean-energy-and-new-technologies-3-23-09
"We can allow climate change to wreck unnatural havoc, or we can
create jobs preventing its worst effects."


--Ben Zimmer

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