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 77
Page 10
... forces led by the U.S. ultimately sought to become advisers to the regular Iraqi army fighting an insurgency and terrorists, and were “embedded” in Iraqi units as teaching During the 1980s, Ronald Reagan's nomi- nation of Judge Robert H ...
... forces led by the U.S. ultimately sought to become advisers to the regular Iraqi army fighting an insurgency and terrorists, and were “embedded” in Iraqi units as teaching During the 1980s, Ronald Reagan's nomi- nation of Judge Robert H ...
Page 17
... forces in increasing numbers, serving in dangerous places, the use of boys was seen as sexist. “American boys and ... force behind government philosophy, it seems to be interpreted by most users as a combinaAmerican Dream The ideal of ...
... forces in increasing numbers, serving in dangerous places, the use of boys was seen as sexist. “American boys and ... force behind government philosophy, it seems to be interpreted by most users as a combinaAmerican Dream The ideal of ...
Page 25
... forces of good and evil. inclined to take public positions. The similar Monday morning quarterback implies The term was popularized in a political sense by former president Theodore Roo- sevelt in 1912 when he ran as an indepen- dent ...
... forces of good and evil. inclined to take public positions. The similar Monday morning quarterback implies The term was popularized in a political sense by former president Theodore Roo- sevelt in 1912 when he ran as an indepen- dent ...
Page 31
... thought we should use the phrase, and we added it to the text. I said 'I hate hatred'—which brought to mind the ineffectual 'forces of hatred' favored by 32 axis of evil Clinton speechwriters—and proposed going with evil.
... thought we should use the phrase, and we added it to the text. I said 'I hate hatred'—which brought to mind the ineffectual 'forces of hatred' favored by 32 axis of evil Clinton speechwriters—and proposed going with evil.
Page 33
... forces, they have exercised such power through their high position and through a system of communications called the 'back channel.' This is a private channel using telephones or cables addressed personally to other military officers ...
... forces, they have exercised such power through their high position and through a system of communications called the 'back channel.' This is a private channel using telephones or cables addressed personally to other military officers ...
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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