Semantic nit-picking

[robinturner]

I've been listening to George Bush speaking on his African tour. He just said: "They asked the self-evident question." How on earth can a question be self-evident?

There again, that's a mild example of Bush semantics. Earlier, I heard a BBC newsreader say "Australian businesses seem to be somewhat super-confident." Isn't that a teensy mega-understatement? Or am I being ever so slightly ultra-critical?

Comments

[circumambulate.livejournal.com]

see, if he uses words like self-evident, then people think he's read the Declaration of Independence, see?? He has, the constitution, too, see?

Say what ?

[ankh156.livejournal.com]

You're being excessively understated in your selfless egoism. Brutally reverential, even.

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

I think he meant to say that the evidence for whatever they were asking was obvious enough that the question was unnecessary.

Then again,

I know you believe you understand what you think I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

Or something like that. :)

Bush... I still can't get over "nukular."