[Ads-l] happy talk

[David K. Barnhart]

PRELIMINARY ENTRY FOR THIRD EDITION OF MY POLITICAL DICTIONARY.

 

 

 

happy talk, {m}  optimistic political announcements based on hope rather
than fact; .......... Compare spin (eOED: 1977).  Nonstandard (used in slang
contexts dealing especially with U.S. politics)

 

DR. ZEKE EMANUEL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: And unless you actually implement these
public health measures, physical distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowds,
not going into bars, you are going to have that. It is inevitable, despite
all the happy talk coming out of the White House.   Alisyn Camerota, Jim
Sciutto, et al., "Pence Misleads Americans As Some States Set Virus Records
...," CNN New Day (Nexis), June 17, 2020 

 

2020 (probably earlier).  Semantic shifting (specialization): formed from
happy talk (eOED: 1971?), meaning "informal or light-hearted conversation,
commentary, or bantering by presenters."  Perhaps ultimately from the
Broadway show tune "Happy Talk" based on lovers' dreams in the Richard
Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein play South Pacific (1949).

 

 


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