Words from the White House

"A compendious, entertaining look at our nation's leaders through words and turns of phrase." — Kirkus Reviews

From George Washington's "New Yorker" and Thomas Jefferson's "pedicure" to Theodore Roosevelt's "lunatic fringe," Richard Nixon's "silent majority," and Donald Trump's "covfefe," this entertaining and eminently readable volume compiles words and phrases that were coined or popularized by American presidents. Discover the origins of "bloviate" (Warren G. Harding), "military-industrial complex" (Dwight D. Eisenhower), "misunderestimate" (George W. Bush), "squatter" (James Madison), and other terms that have helped define American culture. The entries are listed alphabetically, featuring a definition and — in most cases — a brief discussion that places them in historical context.

"Thoroughly enjoyable." — The Washington Post

"The author is an essayist and lexicographer who presents this entertaining look at how presidents have used and shaped our language." — The Dispatch (Columbus)

Paul Dickson is a prolific freelance writer who lives in Garrett Park, Maryland. In addition to his books on baseball history and space exploration, Paul has written extensively on language in such books as Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms, Journalese: A Dictionary for Deciphering the News (with Robert Skole), and Drunk: The Definitive Drinker's Dictionary. With Dover, Paul has published War Slang: American Fighting Words and Phrases Since the Civil War, The Official Rules: 5,427 Laws, Principles, and Axioms to Help You Cope with Crises, Deadlines, Bad Luck, Rude Behavior, Red Tape, and Attacks by Inanimate Objects, and Baseball Is . . . Defining the National Pastime, among other books.

Charting the Presidents and their Nonlexical Firsts
I. Introduction: Brave New Words
II. Hail to the White House: Words, Phrases, and Slogans A to Z
III. The Neologist in Chief
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
An Index of Proper Names