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Bill Clinton and the English Language
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Bill Clinton and the English Language
by George W. Maschke

As a student of language, I am delighted to know that U.S. President Bill Clinton is also an avid linguist. In his videotaped testimony before a federal grand jury on 17 August 1998, he gave us all a scintillating lesson in semantics.

But, will he nill he, Mr. Clinton's most lasting linguistic accomplishment may well be the introduction of new items to the lexicon of the English language. In the space below, I have compiled a selection of likely
candidates. It will be interesting to see which, if any, become lasting parts of our linguistic heritage:

clinton n : a feat in the manner of, or worthy of, Bill Clinton, especially one that is generally considered to be inappropriate, or even wrong -- to pull a clinton : colloquial to perform a feat in the manner of, or worthy
of, Bill Clinton -- to do the clinton : usually considered vulgar [REDACTED]

clinton vt : to extricate oneself from difficulty through linguistic cunning : WEASEL

Clintonese n : language evocative of Bill Clinton especially : language which, though legally accurate, is designed to mislead : CLINTONSPEAK

clintonesque adj : in the manner or style of Bill Clinton

Clintonia n : the world according to Bill Clinton

Clintonian adj 1 : of or relating to Clintonia 2 : of, relating to, or according with the theories or practices of Bill Clinton

clintonic adj : relating to or based on clintonic love : contrast PLATONIC

clintonic love n, often cap C : love characterized by sexual attraction with little or no emotional attachment : contrast PLATONIC LOVE

clintonism n : a locution reminiscent or worthy of Bill Clinton, often beginning with "As I recall" or "To the best of my recollection"

Clintonite n 1 : a supporter of Bill Clinton 2 : one who embraces the ideals of or exhibits the manners of Bill Clinton

clintonitis n : 1 : selective loss of memory 2 : loss of the ability to speak in a straightforward manner

Clintonization n : the act or process of Clintonizing

Clintonize vb -ized -izing vt : to cause to acquire or conform to Clintonian characteristics

Clintonspeak n : a language designed to limit the range of thought after the manner of Bill Clinton : CLINTONESE

out-clinton vt : to gain an advantage by using Clintonese or clintonisms more effectively than one's opponent
Of course, these are just a few of the possible lexemes that may become part of President Bill Clinton's legacy to the English language. As the current sex-and-perjury scandal unfolds, the connotations of any or all of the anticipated words listed above may evolve.

© Copyright 1998 by George W. Maschke. All rights reserved. This essay may be freely duplicated and distributed provided it is unaltered and this copyright notice remains attached.

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