Reviving Old Words to Describe Trump
Uncomplimentary Words
The negative words used to describe Donald Trump—unhinged, man-child, liar, conman, etc.—have lost their sting because of overuse.
Maybe we need to reach back in time to find some good words that adequately depict this monstrosity. Here are 26 words from the past that could be used in connection with Trump.
“Anger dwells in the bosom of fools.” Albert Einstein
Atrabilious is a word that came into the English language in the 17th century and is used to indicate someone who is ill-tempered, irritable, and peevish. Someone who, in seeking the leadership of a nation might say: “Our country is in serious trouble. We don't have victories any more. We used to have victories but [now] we don't have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China, in a trade deal? They kill us.” That'll cheer everybody up.
Bleffinhead. First seen in 1790, this describes a dunderhead, nitwit, simpleton—in other words, a supporter of Donald Trump. It just as well fits the man they follow.
Calshie. Also from about 1790, this refers to someone who is surly, rude, ill-tempered, and crabby. See bleffinhead above.
Discerpible. In about 1850, the Reverend John Boag gave us his Imperial Lexicon of the English Language. In it he defined discerpible as something that is capable of being disunited by violence. The January 6 insurrection is an example, although Republican representative Andrew Clyde called it “a normal tourist visit.”
“A normal tourist visit”?
Eat the leek. Cast your mind back to King Cadwaladr of Wales; granted, that's a bit difficult because he's been dead lo these 1,350 years. Cadwaladr got into a battle with some Saxons, and to celebrate the victory, ordered his soldiers to wear leeks in their helmets. The leek became a symbol of Welsh military prowess, and for the losers in combat to accept defeat. Today, “eat the leek” means having to accept a loss in sports, debate, or politics rather than saying the election was stolen and the trial was rigged.
Fazards are the opposite of those brave Welsh soldiers going into battle. It comes from the 18th century and refers to a man who is a coward, weakling, and effeminate. Bone spurs anyone?
Gasconade emerged in the beginning of the 18th century and was used to describe someone who is bombastic, vainglorious, and fond of boasting about their abilities.
Honeyfuggle means to deceive or cheat. In 1861, The Atlantic Monthly printed this about an aspiring politician: “His habit of ‘log-rolling,’ or, as the extreme Westerners call it, ‘honey-fugling’ for votes and support, had so grown upon him, that his sincere friends feared lest he would sink too low, and in the end defeat himself.” In January 2021, Donald Trump made a phone call to Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to persuade him to dishonestly “find” votes for him. Trump said: “They are removing machinery and they’re moving it as fast as they can, both of which are criminal finds. And you can’t let it happen and you are letting it happen. You know, I mean, I’m notifying you that you’re letting it happen. So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.”
Impetration. This word is said to have appeared in 1518 and means to ask for or procure something. Sort of like telling the president of Ukraine he'll get $400 million in aid if he'll help dig up dirt on a political opponent.
In the 17th century, jabberment was senseless gibberish delivered by a jabberknowl. Such purveyors of nonsense are still with us.
Kilfliggin is American dialect from the 19th century describing someone who is lazy. It could be applied to a leader who visits his golf clubs 285 times during a four-year term in office, playing 142 rounds instead of attending to his duties.
Latrocination. In the 17th century, the act of robbery was called latrocination, although not very often. The Oxford English Dictionary's only evidence for the word “is from 1656, in the writing of Thomas Blount, antiquary and lexicographer.” Surely it could be resurrected and used in connection with the overvaluation of property for acquiring loans and the undervaluing of those same assets to lower tax liabilities leading to fines and penalties of $354,868,768.
Molestious. From 1524, we have a word meaning a troublesome or annoying person who gives off a lewd vibe. “I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab 'em by the pu**y. You can do anything.”
In January 2017, between three and five million people, many wearing pussyhats, protested in the United States over Trump's remarks denigrating women.
In the 18th century, a naffin was a numbskull, blockhead, or idiot. A naffin might look at a solar eclipse without wearing eye protection, or suggest dropping nuclear warheads on hurricanes.
Ochlocracy comes from France in the 16th century via Ancient Greece, and means mob rule—the sort of thing that happens when Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are goaded into attacking duly elected legislative bodies. But they were really just simple tourists.
Palliament is an archaic word for a long, white robe. Along with a white conical hat, it's the sort of garment that might be worn by “some very fine people” who attended a racist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017.
A "very fine person."
Quomodocunquize started out life in Latin and faded from view in the Middle Ages. It means the making of money by any means possible. Fake university tuition fees, Trump Bucks, Trump Digital Trading Cards, God Bless the USA Bibles.
Late in the 18th century someone in Bonnie Scotland coined the word ramfeezle to describe a state of confusion, such as when you don't know whether Nikki Haley or Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House, or when you are in Sioux City, Iowa, but think you are in Sioux Falls.
Servigrous. The earliest known appearance of this word is the 1830s in America and it means obstinate, headstrong, and ill-tempered. The Oxford English Dictionary says it has “Fewer than 0.01 occurrences per million words in modern written English.” Servigrous needs to be resurrected
Tarradiddle shows up in a dictionary in 1796 and it means a lie. “We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election,” and 30,572 other false and misleading statements over four years.
Ultracrepidarian is a word that popped up first early in the 19th century. Thanks to Cambridge Dictionaries, we know that it means “a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside their area of expertise.” The kind of person who would suggest drinking bleach to cure an illness.
Vaccimulgence means the milking of cows. Here, we are going to stretch its 1796 meaning to include the milking of rubes. Truth Social is a Trump-owned social media platform that went public in March 2024. In April 2024, its owner said Truth Social “... has seven million followers ... very good for a start-up and growing fast,” although CNN says, in the same month, Truth Social had 116,000 active daily users. Twitter/X has about 200 million. In the first quarter of 2024, Truth Social lost $12.1 million on income of $770,500. After its initial public offering, the stock price rose to just short of $80 before dropping to the high teens. Yup, somebody is getting milked and it isn't a herd of Holsteins.
Warzlement has a mysterious origin and it means sycophantic flattery, such as when Republican politicians turn up wearing the Trump uniform of charcoal suits and red ties outside the courthouse to bow submissively before the man convicted of 34 felony counts.
In 1755, Samuel Johnson published his Dictionary of the English Language and noted: “X is a letter which, though found in Saxon words, begins no word in the English language.” So perhaps, the reader is willing to cut the writer some slack and allow the use of X-rated. This is, of course, where we meet actor Stormy Daniels, whose cinematic masterworks include Big Busted Goddesses of Las Vegas and Bad Girls at Play. In 2006, she had a sexual encounter—by her account quite brief—with Donald Trump, causing him massive grief ever since.
Yips is a word that can trace its origin back to Middle English. It struggled to be used until late in the 19th century when it found employment in golfing circles to describe a sudden attack of nerves, causing a player to miss an easy shot. It's not a problem for the subject of this triviality because he cheats.
Zoilus was a Greek grammarian in the 4th century BCE. He was fond of being highly critical of others. Today, a zoilist is someone who frequently utters such phrases as: fallen soldiers are “losers” and “suckers,” or Jeb Bush is “a total embarrassment to himself and his family,” and “a basket case,” or ... oh, never mind. I've had enough of this. You also?
Bonus Factoids
- To clear the ground for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, New York, Trump employed 200 undocumented Polish workers to demolish the existing building on the site. The labourers were not given hard hats, gloves, or masks.
- Scotland's Robert Gordon University gave Trump an honourary doctorate in 2010. In 2015, the university rescinded the degree because of Trump's inflammatory language.
- At least 26 women have accused Trump of inappropriate sexual conduct.
- As a child, Trump had “behavioural problems.” His sister, Marianne, says he “was a brat.”
More Trump Derangement Syndrome Stuff
- American Tribalism During Trump's Presidency
Progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans have moved so far apart that there seems little hope of bridging the divide. - What Is Fascism and Does Trump Follow the Doctrine?
It’s frequently said these days that democracy is in decline and that fascism is in the ascendancy. But what exactly is fascism? - An Alphabet of Words to Describe Donald Trump
An A-to-Z of words that are descriptive of former U.S. President Donald Trump. They are not complimentary.
Sources
- “How Often Has President Trump Played Golf Since He Took Office?” Niall McCarthy, Forbes, December 10, 2021.
- “Key Takeaways from Donald Trump's 'Overwhelming' Fraud Trial Defeat.” Kayla Epstein, BBC, February 16, 2024.
- “ ‘Trump Bucks’ Promise Wealth for MAGA Loyalty. Some Lose Thousands.” Brandy Zadrozny and Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, May 27, 2023.
- “Opinion: Trump’s Mental Gaffes Can’t Be Ignored.” Dean Obeidallah, CNN, November 13, 2023
- “Here Are the Top 10 Stupidest Things Trump Did as President (Yes, it Is Hard to Pick).” Amanda Marcotte, Salon, December 27, 2020.
- “Truth Social Keeps Shrinking Despite the Trump Trial and Looming Election.” Matt Egan, CNN, May 3, 2024.
- “Read the Full Transcript and Listen to Trump’s Audio Call with Georgia Secretary of State.” CNN, January 3, 2021.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2024 Rupert Taylor
