Inbox, raw

An occasional report on words, phrases, and pith.

Retraining
What retailers must do to customers after holiday sales, in order to convince them to buy at full price.

Quoth
Uneventful. — Captain John Smith of the Titanic, at a pre-launch press conference, asked to describe his career so far.

Quoth
When facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir? John Keynes

Gifting issues?

Christmas at your throat again? Not sure what to give Strong Language? Here are some ideas.

1. A U.S. Senator. Sure, we joke about it. But we’ve wanted one since we were six, and now there’s a sale. You can’t afford not to buy! Previously owned is fine, but no timeshares please.
2. The Underground Grammarian. Snobbish, precise, occasionally hilarious, and not for everyone. Shoot it through the Google and you may find a gift from SL to you.
3. Water boiler from True Hot, $442.00 at Downtown Glory. This miracle outil de cuisine takes the place of your existing saucepan and brings a new shine to your stovetop decor. It’s a thing of
   beauty, but it’s SO much more. .Reusable, indestructible, and green as a seasick elf — you’ll put this versatile vessel into service every day. The no-nonsense, fireproof, all-metal body is custom-rolled for super-efficient heat transfer at the molecular level. And if you love to cook with fine water — and who doesn’t? — don’t guess on temperature. Bring it to a perfect 212° every time.* And the True Hot is GUARANTEED. Fuel source not included.
   .
   * at identical altitudes

Inbox, raw

An occasional report on words, phrases, and pith.

Disgorgement
A danger to early Ponzi scheme investors. Even if entirely innocent, they may be forced to repay their gains in order to ease the losses of those who got in too late.

Clawback
Recovery of previously given monies or benefits, such as a disgorgement order might mandate.

Quoth
“Shut up,” he explained. Ring Lardner

Quoth
Give me the coroner and I’ll rule the county. Al Capone

Good work, Jan Kemp

Glory, glory to Old Georgia! — fight song.

The University fired Jan Kemp in 1982 for refusing to cheat.

She was a remedial teacher, helping kids who were judged not quite ready for the rigors of Old Georgia. Later, whenever one  failed a regular class, she was saddened.

But when her boss ordered her to muscle an English prof into changing three grades for athletes, Jan Kemp refused. She didn’t believe in exceptions for that category.

UGA President Fred Davison fired her. She sued him and the school. Coaches, administrators and local boosters organized an outpouring of abuse upon Ms. Kemp that was up-close and personal.

But she stood her ground. She cleared a million bucks, put Davison on the street, and began a reform in college sports.

Jan Kemp died on Dec. 7. See the AJC obit.

Here’s the biscuit

For SL, the language angle emerged when Jan Kemp’s boss reacted to her refusal to change grades:

“He screamed at me that it would be done. He asked me who did I think was more prominent, me or a prominent basketball player and two prominent track stars.”

Is that a math question? Or vocabulary? We’re still not sure.

The Hot Rod speaketh

[Following are remarks allegedly made by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich to his advisers about the opportunity to appoint Barack Obama's successor. For a certain common profanity, we've substituted the alternative spelling buck.]

A Senate seat is a valuable bucking thing. You don’t just give it away for bucking nothing. I’ve got this thing and it’s bucking golden.

Referring to Obama: [You're telling me I have to] give this motherbucker his senator? For nothing? Buck him!

Patti Blagojevich, Rod’s wife, and herself a child of Chicago politics, weighs in on the speakerphone with tactical advice on how to convince the local newspaper to muzzle less-than-groveling journalists:

[Tell the owner to] just fire them [or we'll] hold up their bucking [stadium project]. Buck them!

Disclaimers: The transcript was furnished by the Feds, so no opinion is offered about its accuracy.  SL defends presumption of innocence.  Text inside brackets is our paraphrasing. The subject here is language, not politics.

Do the math

1. The Rodster has a 13 percent approval rating.
2. A 2-year U.S. Senate term was worth $7.6 million and change at today’s NYSE closing bell.
3. A governor who appoints his own bad self can clear even more.

Given these realities, we’d be astonished if the governor didn’t take a practical interest in the matter.

Here’s the biscuit

The language angle is profanity. It’s sometimes called strong language, but it’s usually pretty weak.

Need proof? Consider the governor’s words. It’s not the obscenities that are about to earn him 5 to 7 at Marion.

We’re also put in mind of a couple of other things:

The worthy Gov. Spitzer, said to have roared in the hallways of Albany not long ago: I’m a bucking steamroller!

The old Louisiana definition of political reform: Turn the fat hogs out, bring the lean hogs in.

See also: The Language of Scandal.

Inbox, raw

An occasional report of interesting words, phrases, and pith.

Exit greeter
A Walmart security position. The exit greeter stands near the door and asks people leaving the store with merchandise to prove they are shoppers, not shoplifters.

In-school field trip
A learning experience outside the routine, but inside the school. It’s easy on the budget — no field, no trip — and, at least in Georgia, it still requires parental permission.

Quoth
I think I’m O.K. where I am. — Ford CEO Alan Mulally in testimony before Congress, addressing a suggestion that he cut his $22 million salary. Like declining a second cookie.

Quoth
The whole world owes me a living. — Walt Disney

And don’t miss:
31 Treats for Youse, our occasional file cleanup that turns up some of the greatest in strong language. As poor old Job said, How forcible are right words!