Republican Subterfuge [was Whilst]

[Jonathan Lighter]

As Sarah said after the 2008 election, "I'm like, OK, God, if there is an
open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let
me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is."

I never realized she was quite that near-sighted (it can hurt to hit a
wall), but the overriding linguistic issue is the use of _I'm like_ ("I say,
esp. to myself; I "go.")   As I posted some years ago, I first heard this
idiom about 1984 on Long Island, some sixteen years into collecting funny
expressions, four years at a large NYC university, and ten more at a large
Southern university.   A group of teenagers on the LIRR was using it
constantly. (And yes, I know all about "beatnik" interruptive _like_, etc.,
etc. I think somebody - maybe me - found an "I'm like" in a 1982-83  Valley
Girl book, but that's about the earliest.)

Point is, I never imagined I'd hear a serious Prez candidate, a mere quarter
of a century later, saying "I'm like" routinely and nobody really noticing.
(Does anyone else remember how Ike was derided for "nucular"? Or maybe it
was just my teacher.)

JL
On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 9:58 PM, David A. Daniel <dad at pokerwiz.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Republican Subterfuge [was Whilst]
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sarah Palin is not going to be the next president. Sarah Palin knows she
> will not be the next president. Sarah Palin does not WANT to be the next
> president. Sarah Palin resigned her one position of political power, the
> governorship, so she could make millions of dollars on the
> celebrity-lecture-book-TV circuit. Sarah Palin wants to be to be Rush
> Limbaugh. That's all. (If I am wrong, then the entire planet is in for some
> major - as they say in the disaster movies - elimination-level shit. But,
> sleep tight: ain't gonna happen.)
> DAD
>
>
>
> If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of
> Bill Palmer
>  Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:26 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Republican Subterfuge [was Whilst]
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
>
> Well, doesn't an implication that a candidate or product is associated w/
> the (American) West (North or South) bring certain advantages?  Doesn't it
> suggest self-reliance, ruggedness, courage, frontier spirit, individualism,
> indpendence, straight talkin' and straight shootin'?
> Look at current and recent car model names "Toyota Tacoma", "Chevy
> Silverado", "Chevy Scottsdale", "Cadillac Cimmaron", Chevy "El Camino",
> Ford
> "Ranchero".  I'm betting there have not been (granting the only exception
> that I can think of Chrysler "New Yorker'...sophisticated, elegant) many
> car
> model names suggesting the eastern US...sleazy, jaded, tired, deceitful.
>
> Given how popular Ms. P is now, I have to say the "you betcha"s, and other
> vocal mannerisms are responsible for reeling in the GOP voters. I  wonder
> if
> she talks that way at home.  I'd ask Levi (if I could) but he's already
> said
> he lied about all the other stuff.
>
> Bill P
>
> Bill Palmer
> 4 Timberlyne Road
> Chapel Hill NC 27514
> w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net
> 919-929-7431
> 919-593-5195 (Mobile)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 8:31 PM
> Subject: Re: Republican Subterfuge [was Whilst]
>
>
> >
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> >
> > Let's get back to linguistics. You know how Sarah Palin has that
> > distinctive
> > Northwest "g-dropping" thing?  Well, the latest Gallup Poll says she's
> the
> > way-ahead Republican fave for 2012.
> >
> > Great - but blatantly unfair - story-related pic:
> >
> >
> >
>
> http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2010/0717/Sarah-Palin-leads-t
> he-GOP-presidential-pack-for-2012
> >
> >
> >
> > JL
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 9.0.839 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3012 - Release Date: 07/17/10
> 15:35:00
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org