Obama's word play

Posted: Sunday, February 03, 2008 10:20 AM by Chuck Todd

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Lately Obama has been pulling from a very colloquial lexicon, riling up his audiences to words like “okie doke,” “bamboozle,” and “hoodwink.”

They’re always given in context of what his opponents are trying to do to his record.

“They’re trying to bamboozle you. Hoodwink you! That’s what they call the okie doke!” and “They’re trying to okie doke you,” Obama says regularly at events.

Note the usage of “okie doke” as both a noun and a verb.

Last night in St. Louis, there was a new word for the crowd and the press corps to learn.

“Don’t let ‘em hornswoggle you,” Obama shouted out. The acoustics of the stadium left many of us reporting on him scratching our heads. Did he say “Cornswaggler?” “Hornswaggle?”

A little bit of Googling came up with the right answer, and a definition: “to swindle, cheat, hoodwink or hoax.” Popular synonyms include bamboozle, baffle, befuddle, confound, delude, dupe, and my favorite – flimflam. It’s antonym is “to be forthright.”

And if the Senator could please note, it’s a verb not a noun.

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Comments

its good when the candidate for president makes you have to look up words he's using. It's part of being the education president! I like it!

Jerry, Michigan (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 10:47 AM)

If I'm not mistaken, according to the quotation you offer, he used it (appropriately) as a verb.

Freddie O'Connell, Nashville, Tenn. (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 10:58 AM)

OBAMA WILL BOMA..ON SUPERDUPER TWESDAY.

MARLASA MAIKOURESTENCY (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 10:59 AM)

Uh, surely if hornswaggle is a verb, then Barack used it correctly? "Don't let them hornswaggle you", i.e "don't let them mislead you." Hmmm???

Leicester, Britain (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 11:00 AM)

As a (white) rural Southerner, all those words are very familiar. It seems strange to me that the press isn't familiar with them. Y'all really need to get out among the masses a little more.

Cyndi M AR (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 11:13 AM)

Obama's word play. In my opinion, and of course because it appeared, it was your opinion, I deem it very unnecessary. If "they are always given in context of what his opponents are trying to do to his record" WHY NOT. The man is very educated and I am sure that he is well aware of the difference between a VERB and a NOUN.

Louise in Durham, North Carolina (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 11:14 AM)

He doesn't have anything interesting to say so you post this just to get his name on the page?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-galesburg_obama_webfeb01,1,6024020.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

BLS, TX (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 11:51 AM)

You're debating with yourself what is a noun and what is a verb? While Bush continues to destroy this country with each passing day!!#?!

If it were 1939, you would undoubtedly be cheering the Führer 'troops' in Poland!

Robert Stevens, Houston, Texas (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 11:58 AM)

arent these the code words he accused someone else to haveing made. OOPS Americans are supposed to have short memories. Remember you are alone in that booth do what you think right don't be hornswoggled. For new look it is old language. His bridge seems to go back a lot

John Doe (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:02 PM)

Fun! But I don't get this:

"And if the Senator could please note, it’s a verb not a noun."

Looks like he's using it as a verb to me:

"Don’t let ‘em hornswoggle you"

Christopher Walker, San Francisco, CA (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:02 PM)

May this reporter please note that "hornswoggle" in the sentence "Don't let 'em hornswoggle you" IS being used as a verb, not a noun.

Brad K. (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:16 PM)

We surely appreciate your attention to detail, you grammatical prescriptivist, you. The difference between a noun and a verb is as obvious as, say, the difference between Target Center and Williams Arena.

wellstone revenge brigade (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:36 PM)

Where ya bin all yur life? Hornswaggle's a good word, an' looks tuh me like he done used it as verb, but I herd it done used like a noun, too, like "that was some hornswaggle he done on Joe!"

Cynthia Timko (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:57 PM)

Sound's like racial code to me:

Here's an excerpt from "A Rhetoric Of Symbolic Identity: An Analysis Of Spike Lee's X And Bamboozled" By Gerald A. Powell

http://books.google.com/books?id=19gl1PjHqb0C&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=bamboozled+hoodwinked+white&source=web&ots=EzSCC8zWVi&sig=OemLJpHF_HrDTjLOxAC4dtRgoRA

Phil, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:58 PM)

Funny stuff Chuckie T.
You guys should do a story on the new "YES WE CAN" video. It is truly moving.

Steven, KDH, N.C. (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:05 PM)

Yes the media is guilty of all these descriptions and more.

enough of chuckie (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:14 PM)

You never heard of "hornswoggle"?!? Dang! Where have you been? And, as I read your report, Obama did use it as a verb, so cut the balderdash!

Larry, Chicago, IL (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:40 PM)

He is obviously using it as a gerund. Keep up with your grammar.

Steve Castro Valley CA (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:46 PM)

Oh, Thank you so much for clarifying this. My whole entire vote was resting on this very topic.

(((NOT)))

ROFLMAO !

TheMediaMustBeCampaignFatigued (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 2:10 PM)

Ms. Anburajan, your youthful age is showing. Many of us "older folks" have used these terms many times in our lives, as well as our parents and grandparents. When we hear the words, they take us back to a good time in our lives. In Barack Obama's case, I'm sure he thinks of his grandfather whenever he says them as there's probably where he learned them all. We really don't care what words the candidates choose to use as long as they're said truthfully...and in Obama's case, they are.

Jo from Iowa (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 2:30 PM)

If the Clinton's used these words would we see an avalanche of so-called journalists screaming racism?
What does hoodwink imply anyway..the K...?

Terry P Lake Jacskon, TX (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 2:31 PM)

BLAB BLAB BLABBBBA ...HILLARYCLINTON.COM

T.J. from L.A. (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 2:50 PM)

Obama is a sincere person who is not ready for "prime time" yet. Electing him would be like putting donald duck at the controls of 747 that is in the center of a cyclone

Sandi Hughes (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 3:32 PM)

Mabye the media is not so smart. I knew what it meant.
And I know what it means. It means some people will try and confuse other people about Barack's record and stances on issues. He is saying DON'T FALL FOR IT!

Obama' 08

Democrat (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 3:54 PM)

Some of these terms are straight out of Malcolm X or Jesse Jackson speeches. But it is ok if Obama plays up his race right?

Bob, NY, NY (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 4:20 PM)

For the record, "flimflam" has been used as a noun by some people across the Web.
http://google.com/search?q=%22is+flimflam%22

I also have to give Obama credit for waging a tactful war against misinformation which may prove very effective.

Mike L, New York City (Sent Sunday, February 03, 2008 4:39 PM)

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