In my youth, we libbos used to go to P.J. O’Rourke for American libbo laughs. Now that mantle – of American, deceptively profound, politically right on the money laughs – has passed on to IMAO man Frank J. Fleming, whose book, Obama: The Greatest President in the History of Everything is coming out quite soon now.
Good recent Frank Jism:
Things often overwhelm and underwhelm, but seldom do things just whelm.
You see? It’s funny (I think), but it also gets you thinking. Where did the word “overwhelm” come from, from which the word “underwhelm” has recently been derived (because as soon as you say “underwhelm” everyone immediately understands)? “Overwhelm” means that “whelm” must once upon a time have meant something too. But what? Is it an upper class mispwonouncing of “realm”? Does “whelm” have a future, as a word? I’m not trying to be funny (although that is one of the standard methods of actually being funny). I’d really like to know.
This is good too:
I support double standards. I expect better behavior out of conservatives than I do liberals.
And this:
You know how everyone has their idea of what a fair tax plan is? Well, I have now unveiled the “Frank J. Fleming Super Double Extra Fair Tax Plan” at PJ Media and it is the fairest of them all. I mean, it’s crazy fair. You’ll recoil in horror and scream, “No! Too fair!” That’s how fair it is.
I need something to end this with, now. I know. Here’s my funny yet deceptively profound and right on the money tax plan: The Top Rate of Income Tax Should Be Cut To Zero. If FJ’s tax plan is too fair for you, that might be just right.
Good recent Frank Jism
A hyphen there would probably have led to less tittering.
“Whelm” according to Shorter Oxford meant in 1555, amongst other meanings ´to cover completely with water so as to sink’ (my paraphrase). Pretty much what ‘overwhelm’ literally means today. I think ‘underwhelm’ is neat as opposite to figurative overwhelm, how else would you express that so succinctly ?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/whelm
whelm
”‚ ”‚/Ê°wÉ›lm, wÉ›lm/ [hwelm, welm]
verb (used with object)
1. to submerge; engulf.
2. to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune.
verb (used without object)
3. to roll or surge over something, as in becoming submerged.
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English whelme, apparently blend of dial. whelve (Old English gehwelfan to bend over) and helm2 (v.) (Old English helmian to cover)
Frank J. is excellent – I’ll have to get that book for sure. Maybe it’s time to get a kindle.
I like your tax Brian, I’d like it better though if I was in the top bracket 🙂
I think maybe if you taxed civil servants at 50% and politicians at 80% it would be a winner ;p
But as too much thinking about tax does my head in – I think I shall head for a nice relaxing bath where I go and practice whelming myself and my rubber ducky 😀
I’ve seen Frank J pieces occasionally but never paid him much attention. Thanks for rubbing my nose in it; the man is funny. And his book is priced at $1.99 (Kindle version) on Amazon, which is precisely how they should be pricing ebooks. (Publilshers, take note!) I’ve already ordered a copy (for delivery 11/15).
The Whelm was the name of the consolidated space navy in some of the novels of Jack Vance. Vance had an interesting style, among other things he liked recycling obsolete words for effect.
– although he wasn’t so keen on the effect he had on British audiences when he called one of his books, “Servants of the Wankh”.
Back to the Frank J-isms…
buwaya: The Whelm was the name of the consolidated space navy in some of the novels of Jack Vance.
To be specific, it was the name of the armed forces (not just the navy) of the Connatic, ruler of three thousand planets of the Alastor Cluster. It is mentioned occasionally in Vance’s three “Alastor” novels, which other than the setting are not connected.
JSC brings us this:
Literal translation, to bend over and ‘cover’. Or from the recipients perspective, “BOHICA“. In light of this new found understanding of the word, it appears to me that our elite rulers are doing a lot of whelming.
See also: P.G. Wodehouse, and ‘gruntled’.
‘Gruntled’ brings to mind sheveled and couth.
Don’t forget ept. (Etymologically, inept is actually the negative of apt.)
And “gorm”, as in “..less”, or “he has plenty of gorm”
Back on topic?
He seems to have forgotten the part where The Saviour walked on the face of the ocean from one continent to another, to get that noblest prize he so much deserved by the virtue of his very existence – but it could be in the book itself? Good stuff.