Uncle Sugar Rorschach

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/25/2014 03:17 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Garson beat me to the observation that Barry had quite independently
>unearthed some of the cites I listed and included them in an article some
>years ago on his carefully researched Big Apple blog.
>
>The media, however, is currently enamored of UrbanDictionary.com, whose
>leading evidence for "Uncle Sugar" sez, "The concept that Uncle Sam is
>everyon's [sic] pimp because he takes his share of your money before you
>get your share."
>
>A contribution dated today confidently asserts that "Uncle Sugar" is "a
>combination of 'Uncle Sam' and 'Sugar Daddy.' "
>
>JL

So these connotations aren't only in the mind of Mike, as I surmised,
but also in the minds of those who invent meanings for UrbanDictionary?

Joel



>On Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 2:14 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Uncle Sugar Rorschach
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 1/25/2014 11:54 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > >I'm not sure how "Uncle Sugar" could be construed as "racist" except that
> > >sugar is very white and "Uncle Sugar" is handing out prescriptions to ...
> > >well, to whom?
> >
> > My reference to "both of the above" was to (a) "sugar daddy" and (b)
> > "a pimp", not to a racist construction.
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > >JL
> > >
> > >
> > >On Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 11:18 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > > Subject:      Re: Uncle Sugar Rorschach
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > At 1/25/2014 10:15 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > > >Mike Huckabee has employed the phrase "Uncle Sugar" in a speech
> > lambasting
> > > > >(wait for it) Democrats for "making [women]  believe that they are
> > > > helpless
> > > > >without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription
> > each
> > > > >month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or
> > their
> > > > >reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be
> > it...."
> > > > >...
> > > > >The point is that people were speculating about 1. what "Uncle Sugar"
> > > > might
> > > > >possibly mean, and 2. (wait for it) whether it's racist. or 3. (wait
> > for
> > > > >it) sexist.
> > > > >
> > > > >Somebody ventured the opinion that it was a sexist reference to a
> > "sugar
> > > > >daddy." Anchor Victor Blackwell said he'd thought Mike was comparing
> > the
> > > > >federal government "to a pimp."
> > > >
> > > > Of course it was -- both of the above -- in Huckabee's intent.  He's
> > > > using it to add these negative associations to "(present) United
> > > > States government", and thus tar the Democrats.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >  Conservatives since McCarthy days have used "Uncle Sugar"
> > derisively  to
> > > > >refer to liberal fiscal and welfare policies.
> > > > >
> > > > >That's because "sugar," in the '40s, was still a familiar synonym for
> > > > >"money." Get it? "Uncle Sugar." How clever!
> > > > >
> > > > >Anyway, Cain of CNN lamented Huckabee's use of "an obsolete slang
> > term for
> > > > >the federal government" as the GOP is trying to "improve its brand."
> >  Such
> > > > >usage, he said, "reeks of old man."
> > > >
> > > > And "libidinous old man".
> > > >
> > > > Also, I have not heard any commentator -- and I would expect feminist
> > > > commentators to -- ask why women's libidos need controlling but men's
> > > > do not.  Huckabee I can understand -- after all, to a fundamentalist
> > > > women's lust is what lures men into sin.
> > > >
> > > > Joel
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >JL
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > 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
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > 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

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