In this WFAA noon news opening from 1991, anchor Lisa McRee talks about how then-governor of Texas Ann Richards in her “State of the State” address was about to “outline her priorities for the state of Texas.” I’m wondering if that phrase, “state of Texas,” has a double meaning:
I’m also wondering if this is true of any other of our 50 states.
In both of the states where I’ve lived (Wisconsin and Illinois), the governor does make an annual “State of the State” address. In both cases, the timing is similar to that of the State of the Union (i.e,. shortly after the beginning of the new year).
That’s just what I thought! Nikki Haley, S.C. governor, I’m pretty sure, does pretty much the same thing at the same time.
To answer the question, while ‘the state of Texas’ does have double meaning, a Governor outlining their priorities for the ‘State of Texas’ is speaking with a capital ‘S’ in the word ‘state’.
IOW, ‘state’ refers to the physical area within the borders, not the condition of that area.
Didn’t know it! I thought that “state” meant the condition of anything, even a U.S. state.
Congratulations, you have made/recognized a pun.
The usage also filters down further, with the various “State of the City” addresses that occur from time to time.
Indeed, I’ve heard several quite eloquent State of the Township addresses, and one State of the Hamlet that was absolutely riveting.
I’m not seeing any double meaning. The first state means condition, the second is the State of Texas, just as in State of the Union the President addresses the condition of the United States.
I’ve read this six times now and still have no idea what it means.
Just like the POTUS, most governors are required by their state’s state constitution to give a formal address to the legislative body on the state/condition of the state.
I think postcards did in fact answer the question in the OP. The question was not about the phrase “state of the state”, but about the phrase “her priorities for the state of Texas”. And in that context, “state” would appear to refer to the political entity, not the condition of it.
Heck, I wrote it six different ways before posting it; because both definitions are nouns, I was afraid I’d have a hard time making myself clear. I meant “the physical area within the borders” to infer the borders of Texas, not the conditions of that area. Thus the capital ‘S’.
ETA: thanks, Ximenean.