Sir Bob Jones
nopunchespulled.com
When, defying all common sense, Trump became President I wrote a prediction in my National Business Review column that by the time his reign was over, there’d have been more books written about him than any of his predecessors. “How and why” would be the common theme.
In a quality Aspen bookshop when on my annual ski trip, there were about 8 recently published ones. The proprietor told me there’s a new one virtually weekly and they all sell to an insatiable “how and why” bewildered populace.
But I wonder if any of these scribes will pick up one legacy of his awfulness which is this.
During the pre-election Republican primaries and having an interest in speech idioms, I noted an oddity in Trump’s utterances. He seemed totally unable to speak for more than 30 seconds without saying “and by the way”.
In the subsequent four years that superfluous phrase has proven more contagious than coronavirus.
For ever since every American commentator seems incapable of speaking without including it.
Most ironic of all I even heard one in full flight, rightly condemning the idiotic young female obsession with “like”, then use it.
I’m picking it will be Trump’s sole legacy (and certainly less damaging than most of his actions) stupid though it is.
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