[Ads-l] Donald J. Trump Quotes from 2019-2020

[Shapiro, Fred]

Bill's point may well be a valid one.  Every year I compile the "top 10" notable quotations of the year, which are largely ridiculous or deplorable quotes reflecting the ridiculous and deplorable times we live in.  The Yale Book of Quotations is very different in nature, presenting for the most part quotes "for the ages," that are primarily eloquent or insightful or witty or famous or historically important.  It might be for the best if I stuck to those five categories in the YBQ, but I do include a relatively small amount of the ridiculous/deplorable items along with Shakespeare and Mark Twain and other sages.  I do this because I want the book to be "up-to-date" and, frankly, there is not a lot of eloquence nowadays.

The biggest section of ridiculous/deplorable in the forthcoming second edition of the YBQ, by a long shot, is the Donald Trump section.  I think Trump's quotes are special because, unlike most ridiculous/deplorable remarks of the past, they are historically important: a lot of conflict and suffering and cultural degradation is ushered in by his comments and the attitudes behind them.

But, as I said above, I concede that Bill's point may be a valid one, that the Trumpisms and other wacky discourse of our times may be out of place in my book and may detract from its tone.

Fred Shapiro



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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY CCDC AVMC (USA) <0000099bab68be9a-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2020 3:59 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Donald J. Trump Quotes from 2019-2020

I generally think of the YBQ as being a bit higher-brow than needing to include a list of "dumb things the president has said lately".
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