“...and it annoys the pig”

[ewx]

So Barack Obama may or may not have allusively compared her to a pig in lipstick, depending whether you ask Democrats or Republicans and Telegraph hacks. I'm having trouble finding a transcript, and in a triumph of journalistic integrity the BBC weren't showing the context last night, so I can't easily say which side is talking rot. Although western politicians do usually make their attacks on opponents a bit more sophtiscated than mere abuse (consider how unusual Major's famous “bastards” remark was).

Not so long ago however, and providing the basis for the claim of a slur, Sarah Palin compared herself to a pit bull terrier in lipstick (an equally bizarre image if taken literally). But frankly I think Obama's supposed comparison is the more flattering one; pit bulls have a reputation for savaging small children, and while pigs can certainly be dangerous they're not what springs to mind when you talk about dangerous animals. So what's the fuss about? l-)

[Poll #1257776]

Comments

[keirf.livejournal.com]

When book reviewers write something like "Stephen Donaldson is comparable to Tolkein at his best" do you think they mean "Stephen Donaldson at his best is comparable to Tolkien" or not?

[simont]

And even then, "comparable to" leaves a lot of wiggle-room to say that the comparison in question would have been "isn't anything like as good as".

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Surely it's perfectly clear that that's not what "comparable" means in that context.

[simont]

Only in cases where it's perfectly clear that the person saying it isn't a smartarse.