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Actually, when Nixon made that statement I wasn't much paying attention to language styles. First time it really caught my attention was during Bob Dole's run for the presidency back in 1996. Then I pretty much forgot about it. Until last night. My wife was watching a cooking show where teenagers compete, and one of them, a young boy about 12 years old, used it to describe his presentation: "John Jones has prepared for you tonight etc."
Was especially surprising to hear that device used by someone so young. Sent me to an online search, where I learned that referring to oneself in the third person is called "illeism" (learned a new word). I don't think I've ever used that in spoken English. Always seemed a bit pretentious to me. But according to that Wiki link it's been around for some time and does have some valid uses. I have, for example, in some writing used the parenthetical expression (in this author's opinion), and I guess that would be a form of illeism, but I rarely do that.
Wiki claims it's often used to denote idiocy or lack of language skills (Mongo like Candy, Tarzan hear stampede, etc.), or for automatons in science fiction (but Data from STTNG never used that).
Wiki goes on to note:
In certain Eastern religions, like Hinduism or Buddhism, this is sometimes seen as a sign of enlightenment, since by doing so, an individual detaches his eternal self (atman) from the body-related one (maya). Known illeists of that sort include Swami Ramdas,[4] Ma Yoga Laxmi,[5] Anandamayi Ma,[6] and Mata Amritanandamayi.[7] Jnana yoga actually encourages its practitioners to refer to themselves in the third person.
which I thought was interesting. So I don't really have a question, but just wanted to share a new word (at least to Heimhenge). Comments welcome though.
Ron Draney said
It's not often you find something that Bob Dole, Flavor Flav, and Sesame Street's Elmo all have in common.
I'm sure there would be an incredibly rude, incredibly funny retort to that, but it being Armistice Day, I'll be kind to Bob Dole, out of sympathy for someone who got a speeding ticket going to his mother's funeral, I'll be kind to Flav, and out of respect and admiration for Elmo, I don't want to put him in a group that includes the other two.
I am learning that the brain may be little more than a wiring switch, with much of our personality being a consequence of our microbiome. which leads me to wonder, are illeism's causes rooted in the illeum?
I learned a new word today as well: manqué It's in Dick Francis's 1965 novel "Odds Against". It's sorta like wannabe in that it's generally paired with an occupational prefix. The difference is that a wannabe Elvis knows he's not Elvis, but strives mightily to be Elvis, while an Elvis manqué tries to be Elvis and constantly fails, but is unaware that he never will come close. It's 40-some years since I first read that book, but I just slid over the word before.
That's a great thing about Kindle. Highlight a word, and the definition is instantly available. It makes reading slower but so much richer. After Mrs Francis died, and he announced he would write no longer, there were newspaper stories suggesting she was the true author, the intimation being that a mere jockey couldn't be such a brilliant writer, but then Francis produced another couple of stories, and I thought "Good for him so shut up his critics that way!" It's a lot more fun when you have a "partner in crime" but writing isn't exactly something one chooses to do. It's foist upon one, perhaps by the muses of the microbiome.
Robert said: Never had I heard illeism by a woman.
Interesting observation. Now that you mention it, neither have I. It does seem to be an exclusively male thing, at least in western society. Ego seems to be one of those things "good girls" are taught to suppress, and males are encouraged to express. But that may be changing.
I thought I recalled Sara Palin using illeism during her campaign, but a search of Palin quotes didn't turn up anything. Now if Carly Fiorina stays in the race, and having watched her flaunt her ego in the debates, I would not be surprised to hear her use it. You have to have a fair amount of ego to play the political game.
Her closing statement at the last debate included:
We must beat Hillary Clinton. Carly Fiorina can beat Hillary Clinton. I will beat Hillary Clinton. And under a President Fiorina, we will restore the character of this nation.
Most women identify themselves by their husband's name. Few men refer to themselves by their wife's name.
Good catch deaconB. I watched all the debates to date, but missed that line by Fiorina. Clearly an illeism.
Which brings up the interesting question: If a women wins the presidency will her husband be referred to as "the First Man" "the First Gentleman" "the First Spouse" or what? I'm sure the protocol wonks in the executive branch already have something ready. The Post seems to think it'll be "First Gentleman" based on precedents set by female governors.
Heimhenge said
Which brings up the interesting question: If a women wins the presidency will her husband be referred to as "the First Man" "the First Gentleman" "the First Spouse" or what? I'm sure the protocol wonks in the executive branch already have something ready. The Post seems to think it'll be "First Gentleman" based on precedents set by female governors.
She has *so* much baggage - the cattle futures, the Vince Foster affair, her attempt at national health care, how she handled the Monica matter, etc - that I can't see Mrs. Clinton winning. Even without all that baggage, she is not particularly warm and friendly. She's calculating and shrewd, but people tend to vote for someone that like. Bill had a lot of faults, but he gave the impression that if you met alone, face to face, and you were utterly unimportant to him, he'd still be warm and friendly.
But if Bill becomes the president's husband, it won't resolve the issue. Fred Thompson was still addressed as "Senator" until he died, the guy who headed Common Pleas court for one term back in the 70s is still called "Judge", and Bill will still be called "Mr President" or "President Clinton", no matter what. And probably "Slick Willy" as well.
Back when Jimbo Buchanon was POTUS, there were lots of informal titles for William King, most of them rude, but they were never formally married. It'll be interesting to see what title they give the first same-sex spouse of a POTUS - and given that Italy elected a leader whose wife starred in porn movies, it may not take long before a gay couple lives in the White House.
This is a problem as old as the Presidents Adams.
I usually refer to the Presidents Bush as President Bush 41 and President Bush 43, or just 41 and 43 if the context permits. Their case is even more difficult than the Clinton one since, like the Presidents Adams, they have the same first name. In order to distinguish, we can resort to their middle names, middle initials sequence numerals, or "the elder" and "the younger." To me the numerals are more respectful. When I want to be disrespectful, I might say W.
"The elder" and "the younger" certainly would not be appropriate for the Clintons, both since there is no generational difference, and since it simply isn't polite to refer to a lady's age. In the Clinton case, we could just use their first names, which is a lot less odd than using middle initials. Or the numerals as Ron Draney suggests.
As for the First[?] [blank], I hope whatever we settle on makes a nice -OTUS word. BROTUS? I have no idea what it would stand for, but the BRO- part sounds like a man.
Glenn said
As for the First[?] [blank], I hope whatever we settle on makes a nice -OTUS word. BROTUS? I have no idea what it would stand for, but the BRO- part sounds like a man.
Nothing as nice as FLOTUS comes to mind, but HOPOTUS for "Husband of POTUS" might work. They could use "Hail to the chief" for Mrs. Clinton, and rejigger the lyrics of this song when Bill shows up without Hillary.
Maybe just to cover all the possibilities, we should use the generic SOPOTUS (spouse of). Whatever the sexual persuasion (if the SCOTUS ruling stands), I'd guess that one of a declared unmarried couple would a hard time winning. So I don't think we need to go as generic as SOOTPOTUS (significant other of).
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