# Donald Trump is in desperate need of a dictionary **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 25, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962 "2016-08-25T23:57:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dreamregent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@dreamregent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamregent)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/1 "2016-08-25T23:57:53Z")
Today, **[in an inteview](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-bigot/index.html)** with Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump explained what he meant by calling Hillary Clinton a bigot. Essentially, he repeatedly insisted erroneously that it was merely because, in his view, her policies will be ineffective. From **[Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigot)**: > [@](#): > > : a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance Clearly, Trump doesn’t even know what bigotry is! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/2 "2016-08-26T00:56:21Z")
What for? He already _has_ the best words. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/3 "2016-08-26T01:58:38Z")
ISTM that Trump usually says what he wants people to believe, not what he believes. I sincerely doubt that he doesn’t know the meaning of the word “bigot”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/4 "2016-08-26T02:04:49Z")
Not that different from Bernie’s use of “unqualified”. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/5 "2016-08-26T03:06:14Z")
This is probably one of his row-backs, inspired by his handlers who have persuaded him that if you have made yourself look like a monstrously vindictive liar, you improve your position if you persuade people that you are just congenitally stupid instead. Trump probably does know what “bigot” means, but he’s pretending he doesn’t so that he can avoid pressure to justify his claim that Clinton is a bigot in the accepted sense of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/6 "2016-08-26T03:15:43Z")
It’s the usual process. Trump supporters: _“We support Donald because he says what he means!”_ Trump says something stupid. Trump supporters: _“He didn’t really mean what he said.”_ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/7 "2016-08-26T13:39:27Z")
Requisite citation from Lewis Carroll’s _Alice in Wonderland_: > [@](#): > > ‘And only one for birthday presents, you know. There’s glory for you!’ > > ‘I don’t know what you mean by “glory”,’ Alice said. > > Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. ‘Of course you don’t — till I tell you. I meant “there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!”’ > > ‘But “glory” doesn’t mean “a nice knock-down argument”,’ Alice objected. > > ‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ > > ‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ > > ‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.’ > > Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. ‘They’ve a temper, some of them — particularly verbs: they’re the proudest — adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs — however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!’ > > ‘Would you tell me please,’ said Alice, ‘what that means?’ > > ‘Now you talk like a reasonable child,’ said Humpty Dumpty, looking very much pleased. ‘I meant by “impenetrability” that we’ve had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you’d mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don’t mean to stop here all the rest of your life.’ > > ‘That’s a great deal to make one word mean,’ Alice said in a thoughtful tone. > > ‘When I make a word do a lot of work like that,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘I always pay it extra.’ > > ‘Oh!’ said Alice. She was too much puzzled to make any other remark. > > 'Ah, you should see ‘em come round me of a Saturday night,’ Humpty Dumpty went on, wagging his head gravely from side to side, ‘for to get their wages, you know.’ ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/8 "2016-08-26T16:29:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Requisite citation from Lewis Carroll’s _Alice in Wonderland_: **Objection! This is a totally unfair characterization of Trump! Trump would never pay anyone extra!** (In all honesty as a massive Carrollphile I was going to post the same thing until I say your post) ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/9 "2016-08-29T17:25:38Z")
Trump needs no more than a dictionary with only one and two syllable words. Whenever he uses anything more complex, he is in trouble. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/10 "2016-08-29T20:41:36Z")
Can we add “vetting” too? Watching his staff go in and out, he clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of that one. “Amnesty” He’s flipping around so hard on this one, it’s clear he’s confused. “Day One” I’m thinking he believes his first day in office (heaven forfend) will be biblical in length. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/11 "2016-08-29T21:13:27Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > “Day One” I’m thinking he believes his first day in office (heaven forfend) will be biblical in length. First day? That is Sooooo last week. Trump now says he will deport all of the criminal bad guys in the [FIRST HOUR](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-would-deport-criminal-illegal-aliens-within-an-hour) of being president. He’s just that awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/12 "2016-09-13T16:12:16Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > First day? That is Sooooo last week. > > Trump now says he will deport all of the criminal bad guys in the [FIRST HOUR](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-would-deport-criminal-illegal-aliens-within-an-hour) of being president. He’s just that awesome. He could send them all in a basket. A basket of deportables. Get it? Get it? Yeah, me neither. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/13 "2016-09-13T16:39:39Z")
How can you be called a “bigot” for over forty years and never bother to look it up? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/14 "2016-09-13T16:39:42Z")
I don’t get it, but if he used the word ‘handbasket’ I’d know where he was planning to send them. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/15 "2016-09-13T16:50:15Z")
We’ll have people look into that because you know, it’s tremendously important. People have called me up to, you know, and I don’t know; it’s just something we need to understand. It’s what people are telling me. It’s really very, very tremendous. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/16 "2016-09-13T18:18:15Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > How can you be called a “bigot” for over forty years and never bother to look it up? So that you can testify you’re not a bigot without being charged with perjury? 🙂 But, seriously, Trump knows that everything is now condensed into 140 characters or less and that only the most shocking and incendiary things will be seen/heard at all. You can shout bigot and have it played and replayed all over the world because it sells advertising. Nobody tunes in/clicks on to hear you apologize for not using a dictionary. They’re not using dictionaries either. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-dictionary/763962/17 "2016-09-13T18:33:57Z")
Won’t happen. You need a brain to read a dictionary.