Safire's Political DictionaryWhen it comes to the vagaries of language in American politics, its uses and abuses, its absurdities and ever-shifting nuances, its power to confound, obscure, and occasionally to inspire, William Safire is the language maven we most readily turn to for clarity, guidance, and penetrating, sometimes lacerating, wit. Safire's Political Dictionary is a stem-to-stern updating and expansion of the Language of Politics, which was first published in 1968 and last revised in 1993, long before such terms as Hanging Chads, 9/11 and the War on Terror became part of our everyday vocabulary. Nearly every entry in that renowned work has been revised and updated and scores of completely new entries have been added to produce an indispensable guide to the political language being used and abused in America today. Safire's definitions--discursive, historically aware, and often anecdotal--bring a savvy perspective to our colorful political lingo. Indeed, a Safire definition often reads like a mini-essay in political history, and readers will come away not only with a fuller understanding of particular words but also a richer knowledge of how politics works, and fails to work, in America. From Axis of Evil, Blame Game, Bridge to Nowhere, Triangulation, and Compassionate Conservatism to Islamofascism, Netroots, Earmark, Wingnuts and Moonbats, Slam Dunk, Doughnut Hole, and many others, this language maven explains the origin of each term, how and by whom and for what purposes it has been used or twisted, as well as its perceived and real significance. For anyone who wants to cut through the verbal haze that surrounds so much of American political discourse, Safire's Political Dictionary offers a work of scholarship, wit, insiderhood and resolute bipartisanship. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 69
Page xxi
... early '70s (see speechwriter, ghostwriter) to an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times (see pundit, thumbsucker) ... earliest citations; it used to provide a secret frisson of pleasure to correct Bartlett's, which dutifully made the ...
... early '70s (see speechwriter, ghostwriter) to an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times (see pundit, thumbsucker) ... earliest citations; it used to provide a secret frisson of pleasure to correct Bartlett's, which dutifully made the ...
Page 29
... early 1960s when “declarations of interdependence” came into vogue. In the 1970s that word was frequently used in the foreign economic policy addresses of Henry Kissinger while the opposite—independence—was a staple of Nixonian calls ...
... early 1960s when “declarations of interdependence” came into vogue. In the 1970s that word was frequently used in the foreign economic policy addresses of Henry Kissinger while the opposite—independence—was a staple of Nixonian calls ...
Page 41
... earliest citation of banana republic found so far comes from “The Admiral,” an O. Henry short story that became part ... early as 1943, George Allen wrote to General Eisenhower: “How does it feel to be a candidate?” In his memoirs, Eisen ...
... earliest citation of banana republic found so far comes from “The Admiral,” an O. Henry short story that became part ... early as 1943, George Allen wrote to General Eisenhower: “How does it feel to be a candidate?” In his memoirs, Eisen ...
Page 44
... Early use of the word in politics required the adjective “political” to modify it. In 1879, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that a California politician had just “meditated a change of political base as soon as he fell out of ...
... Early use of the word in politics required the adjective “political” to modify it. In 1879, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that a California politician had just “meditated a change of political base as soon as he fell out of ...
Page 45
... early as May of 2006; the 90-year-old journalist defined base as “that solid core of political sup- porters who will stick with you through electoral thick and thin as long as you are perceived as advancing their principles. Most often ...
... early as May of 2006; the 90-year-old journalist defined base as “that solid core of political sup- porters who will stick with you through electoral thick and thin as long as you are perceived as advancing their principles. Most often ...
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Common terms and phrases
action Administration aide American appeared applied asked attack became become began bill Bush called campaign candidate century charge City civil columnist Communist Congress conservative convention criticism deal defense Democratic described early economic Eisenhower election expression forces foreign former George give Governor head House idea included interest issue John Johnson Kennedy known later leader liberal major meaning ment metaphor military never Nixon nomination noted original party peace person phrase play political politicians popular position Post President presidential referred reported Republican Robert Roosevelt rule Secretary Senator sense speech talk term thing tion told took turn United usage usually Vice vote voters Washington White House word writer wrote York