FW: embetterment?? Idiot??

[Frank Abate]

Dear ADS listers,

I for one would appreciate it greatly if listers would keep their comments
focused on things linguistic, and rein in passing political commentary
(example cc'd below).

It's one thing if Bush commits a verbal gaffe, as he often does -- that
would be worthy of note and comment here.  But the carryover to general
comments on his mental capacity are unwarranted.

The current prez is decidedly NOT an intellectual.  He is shaky at best at
public speaking.  He may be dyslexic.  None of these things, I think
reasonable people would agree, make him an imbecile, an idiot, a moron, or
anything like that.  They make him different from the previous prez and many
other presidents, yes, but they do not necessarily indicate his mental
capacity or his ability to make decisions.

If you are just trying to be funny, OK.  But if you are airing your
disagreement with the politics of the prez, please take that to another
list, or write letters to the editor of your newspaper of choice.  Besides,
not all of us agree on things political, and the ADS is not, by its nature
or bylaws, concerned with politics of any sort or any side.  Let the MLA and
other "scholarly" groups be political if they so choose; I hope ADS will not
follow that path.

Thanks,

Frank Abate


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Beverly Flanigan
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 5:20 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: embetterment?? Idiot??


At 05:07 AM 1/3/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>I missed some of the posts and George W.'s use of this word. However,
>looking at the last two or three posts concerning this word, I get the
>impression this is more about political B-S. than it is about language
>misuse.  Although embetterment is not in the dictionary (not in mine
>anyway), one could assume by definition of other words such as
>embellishing, embarkation, embattle, etc....that embetterment could be an
>acceptable term.  "the act of making something better" or "making a
>situation or individual better"
>The term idiot is perhaps being used inappropriately here as well.  Idiot-
>a person exhibiting mental deficiency in its most severe form and
>requiring constant care.  The idiot is incapable of learning and
>understanding, and is completely helpless.  An imbecile may learn to
>communicate with others, but is incapable of earning his own living.  A
>moron may take a normal place in society, but needs constant
>supervision.  Technically speaking...he's a moron , not an idiot.

Just as someone in Canada recently said!