word·nerd·dot·net

Bad news for language

English infiltrated by Bushisms, perhaps permanently.

Comments:

If Bush can have neologisms, so can I. I nominate two:
gorton (n.). A person who is ludicrously ignorant or obstructive, as "The Bush administration proposes to file a brief in support of the lawsuit against the U. Michigan's admisison policies. What a bunch of gortons."
donkey-kong (n.). Worse than a gorton. Ludicrously ignorant, obstructive, and possibly malevolent. Usually applied to radio personalities. Rush Limbaugh and WBEZ's Aaron Freeman are donkey-kongs.
See them in the OED in 2030.

-- elavil, 01/16/2003

"Donkey-kong" is of obvious heritage, but can you illuminate us on the etymology of "gorton"?

-- amyc, 01/16/2003

Gorton originally comes from Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA), who was defeated in 2000 by Maria Cantwell (D). As to how bad a gorton is, just check out this headshot (warning: huge-ass image of a gorton in its native habitat).

-- jima, 01/16/2003

Jima was, as they say, "present at the creation" of both expressions and therefore he is fully qualified to qualify. Them. Or you could just look at Aaron Freeman, and I bet the phrase "What a donkey-kong!" would rise immediately to your lips.

-- elavil, 01/16/2003

I thought it might have had something to do with the ex-Senator. If it were up to me, though, I'd just call a Slade a Slade (as in, "What a fuckin' Slade!").

-- amyc, 01/16/2003

Yes, yes. But a Slade would be more at the level of a donkey-kong, while a gorton is more trivial.
Don't you think?

-- elavil, 01/16/2003

A couple other terms:

Oleg (n.): A graduate student who uses his position as a computer lab technician to attempt to pick up, or otherwise harass, cute women who are trying to use WordPerfect for the first time. Esp. applies if the grad student is Russian. Can also be used as a verb: "Check out that guy! He's totally Olegging that poor woman!"

Oafleg (n.): An Oleg who is not currently in the computer lab, but is otherwise exhibiting Oleg-specific tendencies. "Check it out! Three Oaflegs headed this way!"
Alt. spelling: Oatleg.

frying pan (n.): Synonym for a donkey kong. "I really hate this WBEZ newscaster. What a total frying pan!"

-- jima, 01/16/2003

An oafleg can also be a nursing student, usually male, usually Russian. It has a characteristic cry that goes, "It is a concept, and it is more than a concept."
And, one final etymological note, a gorton can also be a particularly rancid kind of fish stick.

-- elavil, 01/16/2003

So you're saying we're not to trust the Gorton's fisherman, then?

-- amyc, 01/16/2003

Well . . . not if he's a fuckin' slade.

-- elavil, 01/17/2003

Guess what? He is!

-- jima, 01/17/2003