In His Own Mangled Words

George W. Bush has many things in common with his father, former President George Bush: Yale, politics . . . and an unfortunate tendency to mangle the English language. Some recent gems from Bush the Younger:

“If you’re sick and tired of the politics of cynicism and polls and principles, come and join this campaign.”

“I understand small-business growth--I was one.”

“There is madmen in the world and there are terror.”

“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”

“East Timorians” for East Timorese.

“Grecians” for Greeks.

“Kosovians” for Kosovars.

“It was just inebriating what Midland [Texas] was all about then.”

“When I was coming up, it was a dangerous world and we knew exactly who the ‘they’ were. It was us versus them, and it was clear who ‘them’ was. Today, we’re not so sure who the ‘they’ are, but we know they’re there.”