During the political campaign and especially the Democratic convention, I am having a field day with $ words - aka money words - like mountebank, quacksalver (see yesterday's $100 word) and today's title "Buncombe". Finding currently relevant sentences for those fine words is so easy with all the claptrap being shown on TV and in the printed and online press.
"Buncombe" is not today's Word of the Day, but after seeing Mrs. Obama with the big hair and Oprah-esq makeup on those big monitors in a TV blurb, it naturally came to mind. I first saw this word reading Gen. Sherman's memoirs. On page 55 of his memoirs, referring to a legal/political argument, "Gen. Kearny ... had no respect for this kind of buncombe."
"Buncombe" is the original spelling of "bunkum" so now you can probably guess its meaning, viz. empty or insincere talk, claptrap. The word derives from Buncombe county in western North Carolina from a remark made circa 1820 by its congressman, who felt obligated to give a dull speech "for Buncombe". Great word, no ? And it shows how long the US public has suffered from meretricious* leaders. [There, I used today's word of the day quite naturally.]
So this week is a fine week to learn many money words in a natural setting. Watch a bit of the Democratic Convention. In no time, thoughts using words like facile, factitious, mendacious, and prevaricate will pop into your head and you'll have learned those words forever ... as you now will know "buncombe" forever.
Hmmm ... how about "Barack's Buncombe" for an alliterative mnemonic about his "care" for the working classes? His specific programs are a simply jobs programs for liberal college-educated people who are his primary power base - patronage for supporters - classic machine politics, Chicago style. They have no relevance to the working classes in the US, notwithstanding the claims spouted in this factitious convention.
PS: Arghhh !! I supppose I should be used to it, but I just heard a radio blurb on a Boston radio station lying about Mrs. Obama by omission. The clip said she gave up a lucrative job at a law firm to work doing "public affairs" at a community hospital ... neglecting to say she is paid $300,000 per year for that job. How many scientists or engineers make that kind of money ?
Word of the Day
"Meretricious" - adjective [$10]
Meretricious means 1. of or relating to a prostitute; 2a. tawdrily or falsely attractive; 2b based on pretense or insincerity.
Sentence: see above
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16 comments:
loooool 300k
i read that too
hilarious
hey jim
cleaned the basement......but i'm not happy with it....so i gonna paint it......takin the family car in for an oil change
later
Is "Jim" building a bunker on that vacant land mentioned yesterday ... or did I miss-read that post ?
;-)
i really like this word Buncombe
i need to add it to my rotation
I looked at the Case-Shiller home price data.
9 out of 20 MSA show gains.
Monthly % losses for past five months are 2.63%, 2.15%, 1.28%, 0.85% and 0.05% for latest month (June).
Obvious deceleration.
Bunky time to smoke GOLD MIST jap style before the beefer bears return from vacation...being thrifty, blow it out on ebay if you must...enough is enough, has cost non posters more wealth than jimmy carter.
Bud...did you have the convention on at the klan meet last night or did you just practice noose knots...hope you made the lynch drill team this season, you have earned it.
Hmm maybe when I swap cars with Mrs. B will be enough - very soon on that.
i sure would like to tie a noose around frosty's neck and hang him from a tree
PS.....does it still burn when you pee?
gesh Bud...a guy can't even roll down to sambo's for a short stack in his jolson gear in pease...oh mammy.
"I swap cars with Mrs. B"....sly indeed sir...jinx the SKY fund...fresh skim, hold your ground Mrs B, Bunky cheating at ping pong.
i apologize frosty
i was out of line there........are you ok?? please don't be mad
"sorry"
PS......go put on a nice dress....when you look pretty.....you'll feel better
non posters please excuse Bud...jr high phys ed shower trauma still haunts....nononono care about a lil tooooo excited...no one noticed :(
non-posters have to be gettin bored
my material is gettin stale......rehashin the same stuff.....i gotta get some new jokes
PS.....i will use father o'malley again.......that's way too good and funny to let go.....lmaooooooooooooo
no problem Bud...just missing fresh fish...now get your nose out of my thong crack...I'm rick james bitch.
guninness book in scranton to record a try at the cannonball record..."sorry busy"
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