Words Coined By President Theodore Roosevelt

Posted on September 2, 2016
Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Sometime between Labor Day and Election Day, a memorable new phrase may enter the annals of U.S. politics — perhaps a zinger like “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy,” or a promise like “Read my lips: No new taxes.”

On this day 115 years ago, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt gave us one of the most famous entries in our national canon.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick,” he said at the Minnesota State Fair, using a day in the heartland to help define a new role for Washington in the world.
As governor of New York, Roosevelt had used similar words in a letter to a friend, as he explained how he forced the state’s Republican leaders to abandon their support for a corrupt insurance commissioner.
Roosevelt attributed the phrase, which came to refer to U.S. dominance, to a proverb he learned while on a safari in Africa.
He also added “bully pulpit,” “muck raker” and “loose cannon” to our civic lingo. “Lunatic fringe” was his characterization of a group of avant-garde artists before it migrated to political patois.
Speaking more softly, Roosevelt gave us “Alice blue,” a tint named for his daughter Alice, and inspired “teddy bear,” after a toymaker was moved by the president’s refusal to shoot a cub on a hunting trip.
And the term “White House”? That was his, too. It was known as the Executive Mansion until he moved in.

 

-Culled from New York Times ‘Briefing’

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

CHUKA UBAH    A faction of the apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has... Continue
PAUL NWOSU & CHUKWUKA UGOKWE  In a bold move to redefine the gadget and... Continue
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE      The security architecture put in place by the Commissioner of... Continue
The Oyo State Government through Pacesetter Transport Services, has officially launched a subsidised return... Continue
Given the grimness and prevalence of mental health issues across the country, the Speaker... Continue
Juju music legend, King Sunny Ade and the Shuga Band are billed to thrill... Continue
BY BARNABAS AKINDELE  “Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee.” These... Continue
  The Oyo State Government, through the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, concluded the... Continue
BY SUNDAY DARE  Across Nigeria’s 36 states, a now obvious and relentless economic transformation... Continue
In a significant development for telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria, MTN Nigeria has unveiled an... Continue

UBA


Access Bank

Twitter

Sponsored