# Will "trump" become a common noun? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 5, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791 "2016-08-05T00:46:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [August 5, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/1 "2016-08-05T00:46:03Z")
Hardly anyone remembers Vidkun Quisling, the shitbag who sold out Norway and became the leader of its Nazi collaborationist regime during WWII. But his name lives on as a synonym for “coward,” “traitor,” and “cowardly traitor.” In popular culture, it’s appeared in Warner Brothers cartoons and the “Peanuts” comic strip. In a 1940 editorial, the Times of London said “to writers, the word “quisling” is a gift from the gods. If they had been ordered to invent a new word for “traitor”…they could hardly have hit upon a more brilliant combination of letters. Aurally it contrives to suggest something both slippery and tortuous.” I’d like to see the same thing happen to Donald Trump. “Trump” just rolls off the tongue, in a dumpy disgusting low-class way. An obvious use would be as an alternate term for “shit,” particularly a bowl-clogging, extremely stinky pile of turds. “You sure were in the can a long time.” “Yeah, I thought I only needed to take a leak, but then I had an enormous trump. Used half a roll of toilet paper. Hadda open a window.” If we want it to link to the human experience, like the above Norwegian example, it could be a new version of “lunatic demagogue” or “crass nouveau riche douchebag” or “racist.” I’m open to everyone’s thoughts! If you were out late last night trumping, what were you up to? If your cat was acting trumpish this morning, what was he doing? How would you feel if you had on a new pair of shoes, and then stepped in trump? ---
**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 5, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/2 "2016-08-05T00:52:30Z")
[“Trump”](http://www.dictionary.com/browse/trump?s=t) is _already_ a common noun. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/3 "2016-08-05T01:01:32Z")
Yep, has been for centuries, with several senses: > [@](#): > > colloq. as a term of hearty commendation: A person of surpassing excellence; a first-rate fellow; a ‘brick’. > > 1894 G. du Maurier Trilby II. 257 Taffy, what a regular downright old trump you are! > [@](#): > > A thing of small value, a trifle; pl. goods of small value, trumpery. From OED. ---
**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:** [August 5, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/4 "2016-08-05T01:15:15Z")
Oh, YOU guys are a lot of fun. “Debbie in accounting has a big crush on Ernie…but he only wants to fuck Eastern European models.” “Yeah, he’s a real trump that way.” “The Metropolitan Museum really wants these exquisite limestone Art Deco carvings, but Mister Vanderpant ordered us to jackhammer them into dust.” “Jesus…he is SUCH a trump.” ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/5 "2016-08-05T01:18:14Z")
I doubt it will become a noun as you’re thinking, but I’ll spend the rest of my life advocating for POT (Party of Trump) as a replacement for GOP (whatever that means anymore). ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/6 "2016-08-05T01:21:19Z")
…a [brick](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9JEPeeohYs)…? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/7 "2016-08-05T01:35:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [“Trump”](http://www.dictionary.com/browse/trump?s=t) is _already_ a common noun. That’s a specialized use in card games. The word is not generally used outside of it. > [@aldiboronti](#): > > Yep, has been for centuries, with several senses: Neither of those senses are in common use any more. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/8 "2016-08-05T01:38:24Z")
I want the current verb “to trump” to suddenly flip to meaning the opposite. Much like “Literally” is flopping to “Actually the opposite of Literally” and “non-plussed” is also being used to mean the opposite. I predict people will soon be referring to how the Republicans got “trumped”. From there it’s logical that anyone who takes down an organization is “trumping” it. In the future, I hope my grandkids’ generation will say “We had such a nice crocheting club, but when Mildred and her thugs got in power, they trumped the Hookin’ for Peace Weekend and the group disbanded.” ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/9 "2016-08-05T02:24:40Z")
In the UK one meaning of trump is fart, noun or verb. Presumably this is related to the definition of trump as making a trumpeting sound 🙂 ---
**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 5, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/10 "2016-08-05T02:33:49Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s a specialized use in card games. The word is not generally used outside of it. Hillary has been using “Love trumps hate” as a slogan for some time now. The average person is familiar with the meaning of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/11 "2016-08-05T03:36:15Z")
I would suggest a “trump” is one who is obsessed with the appearances of wealth and power. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/12 "2016-08-05T03:37:23Z")
If we’re going with a new definition, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/13 "2016-08-05T04:21:30Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Hillary has been using “Love trumps hate” as a slogan for some time now. The average person is familiar with the meaning of the word. The verb is common. The noun is not. The OP is about the use of the word as a noun. ---
**Author:** ![lilihob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@lilihob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilihob)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/14 "2016-08-05T09:16:21Z")
Like Springtime for spacers, I have always known a trump to be a fart. He’d love it if the world went to all the bother of inventing an insult out of his name. Not necessary. A fart is unpleasant, antisocial, but in the grand scheme of things, temporary and inconsequential. A moment of stink. Let trump stay a fart. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/15 "2016-08-05T13:16:31Z")
No, it won’t. “Quisling” had one specific meaning, to most everyone who knew (of) the man, combined with organized propaganda using it in that way during the war. It won’t, in the same way that a “Dukakis” did not become a unversally used term for a man with too big a helmet looking ridiculous in a tank, or a “Nixon” does not refer to a disavowal literally nobody believes at the time of uttering. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/16 "2016-08-05T13:37:56Z")
I could see “trump” meaning [ul] [li]to screw up in spectacular fashion with no acknowledgement of the error[/li][li]to pronounce as fact despite evidence to the contrary[/li][li]to resort to insult instead of debating an issue[/li][li]to claim undeserved credit[/li][li]to insist a wig is real hair[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/17 "2016-08-05T14:12:34Z")
Maybe “trumpism” will become the word for “being a sociopathic asshat” the way “sadism” became the word for “enjoyment of hurting people” and “masochism” became the word for “enjoyment of being hurt”. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/18 "2016-08-05T15:46:01Z")
Apparently, in some places in England, a “trump” is a fart. > **[Trump (= fart)](https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/trump-fart.1529620/)** > > I have just returned from my first visit to my new great-nephew in Derbyshire. Where I was unutterably delighted, not by the fact that Great-Nephew frequently breaks wind, but by the fact that his mother and father both call this activity... ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/19 "2016-08-05T16:15:32Z")
The Japanese language has the expression イタチの最後っ屁 which means ‘the weasel’s final fart’. I always felt like we needed something of the sort in English. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791/20 "2016-08-07T21:38:19Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I’d like to see the same thing happen to Donald Trump. “Trump” just rolls off the tongue, in a dumpy disgusting low-class way. > > An obvious use would be as an alternate term for “shit,” particularly a bowl-clogging, extremely stinky pile of turds. > …SNIP… > > I’m open to everyone’s thoughts! You are? Then my thought is…grow up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-become-a-common-noun/761791.md?page=2)