“...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

[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.