Am I totally crazy, or has the Bush administration's "surge" policy in Iraq produced a surge in the use of the term "surge" in America? I feel like every time a candidate's polling number start improving these days, we say he's "surging." Was that always the word in vogue? It's common, of course, for war to impact the language -- "shell shocked," etc. -- but I'd always hoped "shock and awe" would be Iraq War Deux's distinctive contribution to the American lexicon.
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A Surge of "Surges"
08 Jan 2008 11:44 am
Comments (25)
Am I totally crazy, or has the Bush administration's "surge" policy in Iraq produced a surge in the use of the term "surge" in America?
You're totally crazy.
I feel like every time a candidate's polling number start improving these days, we say he's "surging."
When a candidate does really well on election day, is it ok to report that they are "climaxing"?
"Shock and awe" is totally embarrassing. It's almost as embarrassing as "Mission Accomplished!". You can only use the term ironicially, as in "wow, Fred Thompson sure did bring the shock and awe."
The brand management for "surge" has been much more effective.
I recall John Kerry referring to a "surge" in the final days leading up to Iowa in 04.
I noticed the surge of surges too. While we're at it, when did bat shit get associated with crazy? I enjoy the term, but what did bats do to deserve this particular honor?
I posted a comment on the very same thing two or three weeks ago on Ben Smith's blog when journalists seemed to believe there was a "Edwards surge" coming (right before the DMR poll killed that narrative).
I like it when my humble mind meets your great mind. Makes me feel good about myself !
I think you might have things reversed Matt. Elections have always taken on the language of moving water: currents, upwells, waves, surges, ebb and flow, fluid. If anything the Iraqi 'surge' may be a borrowing in the other direction.
1) Bush is making the term "surge" into one of those English phrases which evolve into terms of scorn and derision.
2) Originally, for example, the term "apology" meant "A formal justification or defense" --i.e, in a case where someone offering the apology was not necessarily at fault.
But , given human nature, people allowed to make such defenses --instead of suffering abrupt punishment from a feudal lord -- exploited the situation and in time became more and more frequently at fault.
The term then evolved naturally into "an explanation or excuse" and eventually into today's meaning, in which the person , on discovery, simply throws in the towel and makes
"An acknowledgment expressing regret or asking pardon for a fault or offense. "
3) C Student Bush has long experience in craven behavior ,excusemaking, and ducking responsibility. So he is making a mockery of his promises, since the voters have allowed him to do so.
4) Soon, managers will be saying on performance appraisals that unsatisfactory employees are "planning a surge in productivity" -- as tipoffs that the shiftless wankers are hopeless and need to be fired.
5) Wifes will be making jokes about their husbands "surge" in housecleaning.
6) Financial analysts will describe mutual fund dogs as "expecting surges in profitability".
7) Impotent males will have their condition described as a "surge in passion".
Re Kevin Walker's question "While we're at it, when did bat shit get associated with crazy? I enjoy the term, but what did bats do to deserve this particular honor?"
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Watch bats flying at twilight -- note the baffling, abrupt turns and frequent, hard to track changes in direction.
Now try to follow John McCain's thought processes in the next debate.
SEE?
I think "mission accomplished" is still the mother of all Gulf war II phrases.
"I noticed the surge of surges too. While we're at it, when did bat shit get associated with crazy? I enjoy the term, but what did bats do to deserve this particular honor?
Posted by Kevin Walker | January 8, 2008 11:57 AM"
Have you ever smoked batshit? That shit will make you as crazy as shit.
Meanwhile, pig shit just makes you sleepy.
Kerry Enjoys Surge
Jan 2004
Speaking at the Sanford Center earlier today, Senator John Kerry reveled in recent polls showing growing support for his presidential aspiration. "Do you like the surge?" Kerry asked the crowd of more than 200 people. "Are you ready to add more surge? Are you ready to make more surge, more surge? And are you ready to make more and more surge?"
Matt, are you trying to start a counter-surgency?
This sort of thing happens during every military adventure, and the results are usually pretty hilariously awesome. I can only vaguely recall now, but I'm pretty sure we saw an epidemic of "beefing up" during Kosovo. Nothing was reinforced. Everything was beefed.
Again, recollection hazy, but I'm pretty sure the war in Afghanistan was the era of incessant pounding. Americans didn't meet any problem during that era that couldn't use a good pounding.
Now we're surging. If, like me, you have the maturity level of a 12-year-old, the double entrendes are to be richly savored.
It started when hipsters discovered Serge Gainsbourg.
So that you are saying is that you are both socked and awed by the increasing use of the word surge and that you would like us to declare "Mission Accomplished" and stop it?
Real Men SURGE! >
You're not crazy. My friends started using it as an everyday word immediately upon the administration's first use of the term. When all us NYC lawyers got a (possibly deserved) raise last year, some of us started calling it the "salary surge." I thought it was stupid and pedestrian, so I should have predicted that of course everyone would start doing it.
When a candidate does really well on election day, is it ok to report that they are "climaxing"? - Jim W
yes! Yes! YES! OH YES!
Good one, Don Williams!
Reality Man ... you gotta stop smokin that shit.
What are you - new? That's been happening with EVERY republican phrase since gw stole the Presidency. From "make no mistake" on down.
It's the mother of all surges that we have to worry about
I seem to remember a soda called Surge back in the days before Vault. So perhaps Vault will be the new Surge in the coming months as the Surge draws to a close? Who's ready to see Karzai and Maliki put "into the Vault"?
Sure wish my surge protector protected my computer from the surge in metaphorical surges.
Let's bring back that lil' ol' lady who kept saying, "Where's the beef?"
Comments closed January 22, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Meanwhile, from what I heard on NPR this morning, the reason why there is less violence in Iraq is simply that (1) we're paying off the Sunnis to guard their own neighborhoods rather than fighting with others and more generally (2) Iraq is (as has been pointed out in left blogostan) getting pretty segregated: as long as people agree on where each group gets to live, there won't be so much fighting.
I guess we can ignore what NPR says as they are just biased to the left and declare victory in Iraq and that the surge is working? Well, actually, we shan't, as then pesky libruls will want us to leave Iraq and even the liberal NPR says that Iraq is a powder keg waiting to explode.
Posted by DAS | January 8, 2008 11:49 AM