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Mark Hemingway fires one off over at the Special Olympics of Blogging:
What Were They Talking About Off-Camera? [Mark Hemingway]
From a transcript of the Obama’s appearence on the Tonight Show:
MR. LENO: Wow. And it’s, what, a Portuguese water head? (Laughter.) What is it, what kind of dog is it?
MR. OBAMA: It’s not that. (Laughter.)
MR. LENO: It’s not that.
MR. OBAMA: It’s not a "water head." (Laughter.)
MR. LENO: Whatever they are, I don’t know what they are.
MR. OBAMA: That sounds like a scary dog. (Laughter.) Sort of dripping around the house. (Laughter.)
MR. LENO: I don’t know what it is.
waterhead:
Originaly slang for someone who is Hydrocephalic, but which has now come to refer to any severe idiot or retarded individual.
I don’t want to say that this isn’t entirely accidental and innocent, but given the President’s "Special Olympics" comment that came later this is all very unfortunate, no? I do wonder what the heck they were talking about off-camera.
UPDATE: Yes, I know that Leno was probably referring to a Portugese Water Dog, the breed the Obama’s have supposedly chosen. That doesn’t make the choice of words any less regrettable given the context…
UPDATE II: Just to be clear, again I do think that this is most likely accidental on Leno’s part, and normally I wouldn’t give it a second thought if it weren’t for the president’s unfortunate remark that followed.
Definition of "Hemingway" from Mark’s beloved Urban Dictionary:
Hemingway
When one is jacking off and hits himself in the head with his own load. Term so coined because Hemingway also shot himself in the head with his own beloved rifle.
"I was rubbing one out and I totally pulled a Hemingway right in my eye."
That is just so right in so many ways….
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I don’t want to say that this isn’t entirely accidental and innocent, but if I made a simple declarative statement such as “that was entirely accidental and innocent” then I wouldn’t have a chance to use my favorite words and phrases, like “unfortunate” and “I wonder” and “regrettable,” which allow me to look like I’m saying something without ever actually saying anything.
Republicans:
Pat Healy: Really, it’s only a side thing for my true passion.
Mary: And what’s that?
Pat Healy: I work with retards.
Mary: Isn’t that a little politically incorrect?
Pat Healy: Yeah, maybe, but hell, no one’s gonna tell me who I can and can’t work with.
from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129387/quotes
Then whyn’t ya vote ‘em some money sometime, ya closet case republican cocksuckers?
I was just over there and found this Hemingway:
Because Tapper set up his Twitter account to be like a Listserv group. Yep.
Talk about a shit head with way too much time on his hands.
I’ll ask him and his twin to ride along in my trunk, should I get stuck in snow.
No innuendo there; this twit’s worth about a bag of sand, no more.
Excuse me, but where was the outrage when Rush Limbaugh accused Michael J. Fox of of faking Parkinsons and ridiculed his mannerisms (caused by Parkinsons). I don’t recall the wingnuts being upset about that disgusting display, and yet here they are lambasting the president for a relatively harmless remark, digging to find any microscopic dirt they can.
OT: In a new book on the Spatacus slave revolt (The Spartacus War), the author mentions in passing that the Latin word “leno” means pimp. Appropriate or not?
Though I’m only the eighth or tenth heppest person in the world, & it is in the Urban Dictionary, I don’t think “waterhead” is in general use.
I’ve never heard it before, & I’m up on insults & rudeness. If Load-in-the-Face (I did not need to know that, Mr. TBogg!) had to look it up in the Urban Dictionary, & then cite it, rather than just type “Leno said ‘waterhead’” it can’t be that common.
And even so, what’s the big deal? Is there some sort of conspiracy afoot? To do what to whom? Huh?
I’m sorry, but the title of this post is the best part of it…
Every day I learn something new and indispensable from this somewhat popular blog.
I live in Key West, and I did not know the urban definition of Hemingway.
::
I worked with developmentally disabled clients full time for nearly a decade, and I’ve never heard that term.
Why would there even be a slang term for hydrocephalic? How often does it come up in conversation?
Hell, it’s not even a slang term, it’s just a Latin to English translation.
Hard to believe, but it gets still better. I believe our man M. Hemingway is truly unaware of all internet traditions. From his Updated Post over at ASW:
UPDATE: If only I was as omniscient about “internet traditions” as Matt Yglesias. But which internet tradition am I unaware of, Matt? The right to set privacy boundaries or the right to ignore rude people?
Little: thank you! Now I know what to say when people ask me what I do for a living: I work with economically disabled clients (also known as non-profits). Love it.
Just watched the Leno episode and my God, Obama’s remark was a minor slip up in an otherwise great interview. In any case, he apologized later so it’s OVER.
Obama was articulate, forthright, and unpretentious. A refreshing change from “rich illiterate asshole.”
It’s Greek to me!
The one time I heard of it was when I was reading a piece by Hunter S. Thompson, who used it to refer to some kids who were staring at him while he was smoking a joint.