Americanism or Bushism

[columb]

This process has been drug out a long time.

To my British ears this sounds all wrong. I would write 'This process has been dragged out for a long time.'

However, before having a laugh at another Bushism, maybe someone Stateside can confirm or deny whether this is US usage.

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Columb Healy

 

[Grenage]

There's no way that's an 'Americanism'. In fact, searching Google for "drug out a long time" will only refer you to Bush's quote.

Carlsberg don't run I.T. departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[columb]

I used to be 'drug out a long time' - but that was in the sixties, man!

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Columb Healy

 

[Grenage]

Yup, the man has some has made some terrible verbal blunders. But I suppose it's how he runs the country that counts. I can't stand his policies, but then I'm not an American, so it doesn't really matter!

Carlsberg don't run I.T. departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[philhege]

Drug" as past tense has a strong regional usage connotation. It usually occurs in the American South and Southwest.

Even so, it's a affectation. He wasn't born in Texas.

 

[LNBruno]

Bush-IT?

< M!ke >
Acupuncture Development: a jab well done.

 

[thekl0wn]

I avoid using the word drag in any tense besides present, because to different groups of people, it sounds incorrect. It mainly comes from my dad's usage of the word, and knowing how stupid he sounds using drugged where most would use drug or dragged.

 

[CajunCenturion]

Have a laugh at another Bushism. 'Dragged' is the only correct past participle of the verb 'to drag'.


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[Lunatic]

Wow. You learn something new everyday.

I've (and everyone I was around) used drag for the present and drug for the past.

They're dragging his sorry rear to jail vs. they already drug his sorry rear to jail.

He's dragging that tree behind his cat (cat is short for Caterpillar, a heavy equipment company, and in this case refers to any one of their treaded tractors used for timber harvest operations) vs. he drug that tree up the hill yesterday.

He dragged that tree up the hill yesterday just sounds wrong. It makes me think of 'more better'.

There are a lot of Bushims out there, but out west I wouldn't count this as one of them...

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Have a problem with my spelling or grammar? Please refer all complaints to my English teacher:
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[flapeyre]

GWB is certainly not the first president to mangle the English language - note Warren G. Harding.

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas.

 

[philhege]

As opposed to Calvin Coolidge, who said hardly anything

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,

His maxim seemed to be

"If you don't say anything you won't be misquoted"



A variant of the old "Remain silent and be thought a fool, speak and remove all doubt"



To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[SkipVought]

I can remember people diminishing Ronald Reagan; dumb, asleep, cowboy.

Here we are, 20 year later, remembering his speech at the Brandenburg Gate, and his legacy.

Such a dummy?

George Bush is no Ronald Reagan, but I'd wait a few years before impuning his intelligence.

Skip,
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[philhege]

Agreed, Skip. There are many highly intelligent people who have a bit of trouble speaking in public.

Before I "impugn" anyone's intelligence, I try to give them a fighting chance.

 

[Thadeus]

I don't remember people commenting in any but the most glowing terms about Ronald Reagan's ability to speak publicly. Those who visit TTs.STC know I lean liberal and I can't fault the man's (RR's) speaking skills.

~Thadeus

 

[KenCunningham]

As one would expect from an actor, of course. It's the guys and gals who feed the lines you have to watch.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[Gooser]

Any of us, if put under the constant scrutiny he is, might find ourselves blubbering from time to time.

Just imagine the future of the free world hanging on your every word, how carefully would you try to speak? How often would your 'internal censor' cause you to misspeak for fear of REALLY saying the wrong thing.

Just among these written posts, I saw quite a few grammatical errors, and we have the freedom to proofread. (But I ain't immune to no use of bad grammer in my daily life, neither.)

Maybe if people would listen to what he is saying, instead of how he is saying it, we could take a baby-step towards progress.

I always get a kick out of the hecklers. You get on stage in front of the entire world. See if you can even blurt out your name without peeing your pants. Seriously.

--Gooser

 

[gbaughma]

My largest "live" audiance has been about 2500 people. My largest audiance was 11.5 million (panel on the Oprah Winfrey show).

Honestly, I'd rather be in front of a large audiance than a few people. A lot more "energy" with a large crowd. I've never had stage fright, per se... although, with the musical that I'm in opening up this friday (my first ever play), I'm nervous. Not about being in front of a crowd; more about flubbing a line.



Just my 2¢
-Cole's Law: Shredded cabbage

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[columb]

And, for that matter, few of us speak in public without the benefit of a team of speach writers and an autocue.

Having said that

By their fruits ye shall know them

and, as such I agree with Gooser that it's what he does, rather than how he says it that's important.

At this point restraint is needed by all of us to avoid any flamewars. Remember what happened to the History forum.

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Columb Healy

 

[philhege]

It's history?

Greg, break a leg! Everyone should have their time on stage; there's no feeling like it.