Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels : Insulting the President, from Washington to Trump

Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels is a history of the United States in presidential insults. Beginning with George Washington ("old Muttonhead"), John Adams ("His Rotundity"), and Thomas Jefferson ("a brandy-soaked defamer of churches") and continuing up to the present day, readers learn about the challenges faced by each president, the insults directed at them, and how they responded. Along with the historical context, there is plenty for language lovers about the "facetious pettifoggers," "prize honeyfugglers," and "byzantine logothetes" who have led the United States. With over 500 examples covering the span of U.S. history, linguist Edwin Battistella explains what insults are all about and what makes an effective political insult. In the process, he treats readers to some of the best political invective ever.

Insulting the president is an American tradition. From Washington to Trump, presidents have been called "lazy," "feeble," "pusillanimous," and more. Our leaders have been derided as "ignoramuses," "idiots," "morons," and "fatheads," and have been compared to all manner of animals--worms and whales and hyenas, sad jellyfish, strutting crows, lap dogs, reptiles, and monkeys.Political insults tell us what we value in our leaders by showing how we devalue them. In Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels, linguist Edwin Battistella collects over five hundred insults aimed at American presidents. Covering the broad sweep of American history, he puts insults in their place-the political and cultural context of their times. Along the way, Battistella illustrates the recurring themes of political insults: too little intellect or too much, inconsistency or obstinacy, worthlessness, weakness, dishonesty, sexual impropriety, appearance, and more. The kinds of insults we use suggest what our culture finds most hurtful, and reveal society''s changing prejudices as well as its most enduring ones. How we insult presidents and how they react tells us about the presidents, but it also tells us about our nation''s politics. Readers discover how the style of insults evolves in different historical periods: gone are "apostate," "mountebank," "flathead," and "doughface." Say hello to "moron," "jerk," "asshole," and "flip-flopper." Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels covers the broad sweep of American history, from the founder''s debates over the nature of government to world wars and culture wars and social media. Whatever your politics, you''ll find Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels an invaluable source of invigorating invective-and a healthy perspective on today''s political climate.