A few days ago a friend was thoughtful enough to send me this item. So very apropos. I don’t recall encountering the word in the past, and its occasional use today always strikes me as some journalist’s neologism. Nope. ’Twas and ’tis legitimate.
The earliest appearance of this particular clipping/photo seems to have been in March 2019, with many reappearances since then, so perhaps you’ve seen it before. Coming from the internet, the image might easily be a fake, but the definition itself is deliciously, gratifyingly legitimate. And if you google the word trumpery, you’ll find a lot of interesting reading. For example, one source says the word is used in the Bible to mean falsehood or empty talk.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s ostentatious, tacky, utterly tasteless, “you-can’t-get-this-from-Home-Depot” gilding of our White House – not to mention everything else he’s touched, said, or done – I find this definition, this word, absolutely perfect.
I even wondered if the surname Trump might actually have originated with this centuries-old word, but no, that was a wish too far. The media have repeatedly confirmed that the name derives from the German drumf meaning “drum.”
Then again, he is very good at beating his own drum …
yes!!!!
🙂
The last name was changed when they emigrated to the US to avoid the draft I think in Germany
Yes, I’ve seen several different stories and they all revolved around changing to a name that was not obviously German. I don’t recall if it had to do with avoiding a draft or expediting the family’s immigration to the United States or some combination of the two.
I don’t believe it had anything to do with the draft dodging. They thought hiding the old name would make Jews more likely to rent apartments in their buildings.
Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense.
I’m adding it to my active vocabulary. Thanks.
My pleasure. Enjoy!
I’ve seen that picture before but having just recently seen a shot of what is going on in the Oval Office with SO MUCH GOLD it really does fit, doesn’t it. I am just appalled by what he is doing to the People’s House.
As am I. I’ve been in tears several times over the destruction of the East Wing. (Yes we could use a ballroom but not that way) And every time I see him in the oval office I end up hoping desperately that all that gold crap can be removed somehow after he’s gone without damaging anything.
What happened to the East Wing was almost as upsetting as Jan 6th! I pretty sure that he acted the way he did as an exercise in power.
He started the tear-down of the East Wing abruptly, with no advance notice, so it would be too late for anyone to stop him. I’ve less than zero respect for him.
Nice post, Colorado ! But now I have to work out how to utilise that bee-yoo-tee-full, AI-produced logo thingy, damn you !!!! 🙂
XO
Wish I knew how to transform it into some sort of a sticker thing that I could go around sticking on every picture of all that ugly crap he’s stuck all over the White House. I just hope the people who put it up for him had the forethought to consider doing it in a way that could be undone when he’s gone.