Urging people to parse their words, to be careful what they were saying or writing… I did that, throughout my career.
So, hearing on one of those edgy TV talk shows about how crazy we’re all getting, parsing words so much… that was hard to swallow, since, in the dictionary, ‘parsing’ means minutely examining and critically analyzing things. Like critically thinking through words, for instance, before blurting them out.
Having said this, I must say I’ve been loosening up some, although I’m not suggesting we drop parsing words altogether.
One thing for sure, various Trumps – the former president and some other Trumps – can’t be accused of parsing words. Just the other day, for example, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “The whole world knows we have no leadership at the top just an empty suit with a teleprompter (and he can’t even get that right)…”
Let’s see if we understand Don Jr’s jabs at the current President of the United States…
In just 50-some days, President Biden’s goal of 100 million coronavirus vaccines administered in his first 100 days in office has been surpassed, $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief is rolling out, and the vibes between America and its allies are getting more positive. We’re talking to our friends, again.
Without parsing words, what really chaps my you-know-what is someone starting a sentence with “the whole world knows.” Because, if I’m a reporter, I’d be asking: ‘\”How do you know what the whole world knows? Have you been in touch with all the billions of people on Planet Earth?”
And that other thing Don Jr tweeted! I’d ask if he’s looked inside the current president’s suit, lately, before saying it’s empty.
‘Selling a bill of goods’ are words you don’t hear much, these days. They’re an idiom, defined as an attempt to convince people of a lie, to take advantage of them. To even con them.
In politics, in particular, the growing number of people attempting to sell a bill of goods is getting to be rather disturbing.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.