Words

That old man who currently occupies the post of President of the USA is interesting to observe in relation to the language he uses. Remember how in his previous presidential term and during Mr Biden's presidency, he would often bang on about "fake news"? It became something of a catchphrase as he constantly sought to denigrate particular newspapers and television stations. No doubt he was deliberately trying to blur the general public's trust in news organisations. It was all fake, fake, fake - according to the old man when of course it wasn't fake at all.

This time round the "fake news" obsession appears to have melted into the background. His use of the terms "fake" and "fake news" is greatly reduced.

In the run up to last November's election there were a couple of occasions when the current president, pondered over the word "groceries". It was as if he had never heard the word before as he rolled it on his tongue. At the Detroit Economic Club last October he said, “The word grocery. It’s a sort of simple word, but it sort of means everything you eat. The stomach is speaking, it always does." And in December he said, “I won on groceries. Very simple word, groceries. Like almost—you know, who uses the word? I started using the word—the groceries. ... I won an election based on that.”

The truth of the matter is that "grocery" and "groceries" were clearly novel words to the man in question.  Most other adults in the English-speaking world were already  very familiar with these words. They were hard for us to get excited about.

Another word I should like to focus upon is "asylum". Regarding immigration across the southern border of The United States, the old man has often referred to the incoming people as criminals and drug takers etc. He has also frequently referred to immigrants breaking out of mental hospitals and mental institutions.  The current president clearly understands that historically such places were often known as "asylums".

It occurs to me that the present incumbent of  The White House really has no idea what "seeking asylum" means. In his confusion he thinks that there are hordes of Central American mental patients seeking asylums in The States. It is as if the idea of looking for sanctuary and safety from all manner of threats is a concept that the old man does not recognise. Maybe nobody ever spelt out for him that there are two different meanings of the word "asylum" in common use.

You might imagine that I am just jesting about his ignorance but I am not.