Cross-posted from The Parlor

[Judy G. Russell]

... for those who don't read the Parlor, Mike Shefler offers this gem:

"People may have misunderestimated me."

--President Bush at a press conference this morning.

[Peter Creasey]

"People may have misunderestimated me."
--President Bush

Judy, This type of thing is made too much of in many circles, especially by Bush detractors.

This term is actually one of the typical (whimsical?) slang terms that are commonly used in West Texas. I can't think of some of the others right now but they come to mind as appropriate.

Making fun of this type of usage is like making fun of ebonics or other types of speech.

[EDITED TO ADD] I thought of another (not very good) example of a similar non-standard or whimsical term that is thrown about in West Texas...irregardless. There are others. I'm not defending these types of usages but rather putting them into proper context.

[Judy G. Russell]

Judy, This type of thing is made too much of in many circles, especially by Bush detractors. This term is actually one of the typical (whimsical?) slang terms that are commonly used in West Texas. I can't think of some of the others right now but they come to mind as appropriate.My mother's entire family is from West Texas -- Midland to be precise -- and not one of them says any such thing.

[ndebord]

My mother's entire family is from West Texas -- Midland to be precise -- and not one of them says any such thing.

Judy,

And yet you didn't vote for GWB? Shame!


<g,d&r>

[Peter Creasey]

My mother's entire family is from West Texas -- Midland to be precise

Judy, What is/was their name? Perhaps I know them.

[Judy G. Russell]

And yet you didn't vote for GWB? Shame!No, I obviously misunderestimated the man...

[Judy G. Russell]

Judy, What is/was their name? Perhaps I know them.The family name is Cottrell, but it's unlikely that you'd know them. They're plain folks and a bit insular as a family.

[Dan in Saint Louis]

My mother's entire family is from West Texas -- Midland to be precise
I once knew a Jim Hall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_%28race_car_driver%29) from Midland. Drawl, but no unusual words.

[Judy G. Russell]

I once knew a Jim Hall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_%28race_car_driver%29) from Midland. Drawl, but no unusual words.A drawl is pretty standard. Total misuse of the language isn't.

[ndebord]

No, I obviously misunderestimated the man...

Judy,

At least you didn't misunderstood him.

;-)

[Dan in Saint Louis]

Remember to maintain your sovereignty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xVRXLgLxw).

[Judy G. Russell]

Remember to maintain your sovereignty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xVRXLgLxw).Egads. I am so glad this era is coming QUICKLY to a close.

[Judy G. Russell]

At least you didn't misunderstood him.No, I didn't misunderstood him at all, I don't think!

[ktinkel]

Remember to maintain your sovereignty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xVRXLgLxw).OMG! I had missed that one.

I think candidates for president should first pass a general knowledge test. Might keep out some of the riff-raff.

[Lindsey]

... for those who don't read the Parlor, Mike Shefler offers this gem:

"People may have misunderestimated me."

--President Bush at a press conference this morning.

Well, in fairness, I was listening to that press conference, and that particular statement was obviously made tongue-in-cheek. It does refer back to a time when he slipped the word in apparently quite unconscious that it wasn't the word he wanted, but this time around he was poking fun -- whether at himself for using it or the press for picking up on it, I'm not sure.

Odder, I thought, was that he kept talking about "helicopter drivers" and "driving the helicopters." I was shouting, "Pilots! They're called pilots!! And they fly helicopters, they don't drive them!!!" (I saw that Olbermann had the same reaction on "Countdown" Monday night.)

It reminded me of the speech of a 4-year-old that hasn't quite mastered the vocabulary. And the guy was a pilot himself! He doesn't know the word "pilot"? I dunno, maybe he suffers from some kind of dysphasia, but I've never seen anyone in a responsible position with such a poor command of his native tongue.

[Lindsey]

Remember to maintain your sovereignty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xVRXLgLxw).

I'm sure that's the sort of answer he gave all the way through college because he had better things to do than study the material. :rolleyes:

[Lindsey]

Egads. I am so glad this era is coming QUICKLY to a close.

Just another note on that farewell press conference: the NPR news team that was reporting on it in real time noted that Helen Thomas was sitting in the front row and the president never called on her.

I am so glad that Helen Thomas outlasted that arrogant SOB.

[Mike]

Odder, I thought, was that he kept talking about "helicopter drivers" and "driving the helicopters."
Many people in commercial aviation refer to "plane drivers"; e.g., "who's driving this bird to Phoenix?" Perhaps this activity transcends into military aviation?

[Judy G. Russell]

I dunno, maybe he suffers from some kind of dysphasia, but I've never seen anyone in a responsible position with such a poor command of his native tongue.Whatever the cause is, I'm so glad to be getting someone in office who speaks well, using complete sentences, with the correct words.

[Judy G. Russell]

Just another note on that farewell press conference: the NPR news team that was reporting on it in real time noted that Helen Thomas was sitting in the front row and the president never called on her. I am so glad that Helen Thomas outlasted that arrogant SOB.Indeed. She deserves that much!

[Dan in Saint Louis]

I'm sure that's the sort of answer he gave all the way through college because he had better things to do than study the material. :rolleyes:
This one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ig5gPbKdJk) has survived beyond college.

[Lindsey]

Many people in commercial aviation refer to "plane drivers"; e.g., "who's driving this bird to Phoenix?" Perhaps this activity transcends into military aviation?

Really? I have never heard that usage before, but if it's used in commercial aviation, then maybe it's used in the military, too.

[Lindsey]

Whatever the cause is, I'm so glad to be getting someone in office who speaks well, using complete sentences, with the correct words.

I remember saying something along those lines when Bill Clinton appeared on one of the late-night talk shows early in Bush's first term. I was accused of being enamored of the "merely glib." :mad:

[Lindsey]

Indeed. She deserves that much!

I remember Molly Ivins saying, after Bush relegated Thomas to the back row at news conferences and began completely ignoring her, that it didn't say much for the president's character that he was afraid of an 80-year-old woman. ;)

[Lindsey]

This one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ig5gPbKdJk) has survived beyond college.

Some frat boys just never grow up beyond that.

[Mike]

Really? I have never heard that usage before...
Really. Spend some time where pilots and other airline personnel congregate, and you'll hear it.