Obama declares himself monstrously evil?

Vanity, ht to national review ^ | 2008-01-21 | Dangus

[dangus]

OK, I'll admit that I was as ignorant as to the proper word usage as Obama and his staff are, but this is just amazing.

I was talking to my friend and NR colleague Kevin Williamson yesterday, and he said, “You know, I wish the president-elect would learn the meaning of the word ‘enormity.’” He keeps saying things like, “I recognize the enormity of what I’m about to undertake.”

Not getting it, I looked up in the dictionary what was so wrong about this word usage.

Enormity
1. Passing all moral bounds in wickedness or outrageousness.
2. A monstrous offense or evil.

The dictionary also notes the misuse of the word. Apparently, the word should not be used to refer simply to enormouse size, but enormously sized evil: "Not until the war ended and journalists were able to enter Cambodia did the world really become aware of the enormity of Pol Pot's oppression. "

With absolute prescience, The American Heritage Dictionary even states, "Writers who ignore the distinction, as in 'the enormity of the President's election victory' ... may find that their words have cast unintended aspersions or evoked unexpected laughter."

[dangus]

What completely made bowled me over was that Williamson and Nordlinger (who I forgot to name... Sorry!) wrote in such a dry manner about this.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

LOL—I noticed that too.

I think it’s actually quite accurate.

[anniegetyourgun]

Let’s just say that I think it’s fitting that the “handle” the Secret Service has given him is “Renegade.”

[bobsatwork]

BINGO! Katie Couric did it too. Asked Obammy if he felt the “enormity” of his job.

[television is just wrong]

yeah, funny.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Might be the only true thing he’s said in years.

[Dallas59]

[Army Air Corps]

So, this is the result of a Harvard education: a man who has no idea what he is saying.

[woollyone]

“... may find that their words have cast unintended aspersions or evoked unexpected laughter.”

...no casting asparagus!

[Ken522]

Obammy’s a lawyer - he knows exactly what his words mean.

[mnehring]

e⋅nor⋅mi⋅ty

   /ɪˈnɔrmɪti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-nawr-mi-tee] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun, plural -ties

1.	outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness: the enormity of war crimes.

2.	something outrageous or heinous, as an offense: The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief.

3.

greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity: The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering. e·nor·mi·ty     (ĭ-nôr'mĭ-tē)  Pronunciation Key  n.   pl. e·nor·mi·ties The quality of passing all moral bounds; excessive wickedness or outrageousness. A monstrous offense or evil; an outrage. Usage Problem Great size; immensity: "Beyond that, [Russia's] sheer enormity offered a defense against invaders that no European nation enjoyed" (W. Bruce Lincoln).

[Slings and Arrows]

Well, we can’t say he didn’t warn us.

[dfwgator]

I though only George Bush made malapropisms.

[classified]

I agree! Let’s continue to use it and promote it!

[dangus]

>> BINGO! Katie Couric did it too. Asked Obammy if he felt the “enormity” of his job. <<

Well, I guess one could almost use the word reasonably to describe how grave and immense a job is: "It's such a terrible, terrible burden." (*eyeroll*) So what's perfect is Obama's (reported) usage references what he's doing about the "terrible problems" facing America, not the problems themselves.

[dfwgator]

Gee, it’s so nice to finally have a President that doesn’t butcher the English language. /s

[Petronski]

Some might say he means enormousness, but then there are those of us who know better.

[dangus]

The enormity of the Obama Nation?

[NEMDF]

There was a copy of the invitation to the inauguration in our newspaper over the weekend. The year was stated as “two thousand and nine”. Seems to me that this in incorrect grammar? Does anyone know?