[Lexicog] Joe the Plumber and the Law of Synonyms

[Fritz Goerling]

Wayne,

 

Talking about "synonyms", others equate Bubba with Southerner. Witness the
following joke:

 

A single fellow, desperate to get married, is sitting in an aeroplane. He
prays to God to give

him  a wife. He is so frustrated, he asks God for a wife the same day,
instantly, right now.

When he says "Amen" and opens his eyes, a BEAUTIFUL lady approaches his seat
asking

whether she could sit next to him. The guy enthusiastically says "Of
course!" He can't

believe it. This must be an instant answer to his prayer. So, emboldened he
starts a conversation,

and after the initial small talk he asks the lady what she is doing for a
living. She says she is

journalist.

"Wow," he says, "what kind of journalist are you?" She replies "I am doing
research for a magazine."

"How interesting," he replies, "what kind of research are you doing?" She
says "I am interviewing

American women to find out what kind of men they prefer." Now the guy
becomes excited, "Tell me

more. What kind of men DO they prefer?" She says "So far I found that they
especially like three kind 

of men." The guy blurts out: "Which kind of men?" She says: "Basically there
are three kinds of

men, in the following order. First of all, they like native Americans."
"What?" says the guy, "Why?"

The lady says: "It is because native Americans are rugged, outdoors men and
they have something

mysterious about them." "If that's what it is," says the guy slightly
depressed, "then what kind of man

comes next?" The lady replies: "American women like Jewish men." "Now why is
that?" asks the guy.

The lady responds: "Jewish men are intelligent and successful." The guy is
now even more depressed.

But he asks once more "Which men come in third place?" The lady replies:
"Southerners."

"Now why in the world is that?" asks the guy. The lady explains: "Southern
gentlemen are courteous

to ladies, they open the car door for them, they let them enter the
restaurant first. They are just polite.

That is what American women like." Now the guy is totally depressed. For a
while he does not say

anything.

After a few minutes he musters up his courage to ask the lady "What is your
name?" The lady tells him

her name. Then she asks "And what is your name?" He answers: "My name is
Sitting Bull Finkelstein -

and my friends call me Bubba."

 

Fritz 

 

 

I believe that Joe the Plumber is not a synonym for Joe Sixpack (or the even
more generic John Doe). Joe the Plumber, as used by John McCain, is meant to
refer to someone who is a small businessman.  Joe Sixpack is usually not a
small businessman. He is the "average Joe" who is fairly conservative
culturally, typically doesn't have a secondary (post-high school) education,
and dislikes the "Eastern Elite" and "liberal press". I *think* Joe Sixpack
is a synonym with Bubba.

 

Wayne Leman

 

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