Jargon
Limbaugh uses his own on-air jargon, some of which he invented and some of which he popularized. Notable examples include:
- "Caller abortion" (Limbaugh's term for disconnecting an unwanted caller, accompanied by the sound effects of screams, a vacuum cleaner and a toilet flushing);
- "The Chi-Coms" (The Communist Chinese government);
- "Club Gitmo" (The U.S. prison for terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and a reference to Club Med/Club Fed);
- "Drive-by media" (The mainstream media, analogous to "drive-by shooting");
- "Feminazi" (a portmanteau of "feminist" and "Nazi" that Rush uses to describe a specific subset of radical feminists);
- "The four corners of deceit": (Limbaugh originally used this commenting on the Climatic Research Unit email controversy, referencing: Government, universities, science, and state-media);
- "The New Castrati": ("...basically these are people that just have been bullied into total acquiescence to the liberal agenda.");
- "The Ninth Circus Court of Appeals" (Refers to The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, noted for its size and for its controversial decisions that are reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court more often than any other U.S. circuit court);
- "Operation Chaos" (An effort promoted by Limbaugh to cause chaos in the Democratic Party primaries by encouraging Republican voters to either cross over or change parties in order to vote for whichever candidate is trailing, thus prolonging the primary process);
- "State-run media" (Limbaugh's more recent term for the Mainstream media, particularly since Barack Obama assumed office in January 2009);
- "Low-information voters" (Popularized in a broadcast following the 2012 presidential election);
Limbaugh also coins his own nicknames for various people in the news. Examples include:
- "President Kardashian" (Limbaugh's nickname for U.S. President Barack Obama, in reference to the President's perceived celebrity status, like unto the Kardashians);
- "Banking Queen" (Limbaugh's term referring to the Chairman of the House Finance and Banking Committee, Barney Frank);
- "Calypso Louie" (Limbaugh's nickname for Louis Farrakhan);
- "Chuck-U Schumer" (Limbaugh's nickname for US Senator Chuck Schumer);
- "David 'Rodham' Gergen" (his nickname for David Gergen, Presidential adviser to Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton and now CNN commentator);
- "DiFi" (pronounced die-fie -- nickname for Senator Dianne Feinstein (D));
- "Dingy Harry" (nickname for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, analogous to Dirty Harry);
- "Debbie Blabbermouth Schultz" (nickname for Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
- "The Fruit of Kaboom Bomber" (Umar Mutallab, a Muslim Nigerian citizen who attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear while aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, 2009; a parody of Fruit of the Loom brand clothing);
- "Lindsey Grahamnesty" (Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a portmanteau referencing Graham's support for the "Amnesty Bill");
- "The Loser" (Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis);
- "Ronaldus Magnus" (i.e. "Ronald the Great" - reference to President Ronald Reagan)
Throughout the years on The Rush Limbaugh Show, Limbaugh has established several nicknames with which he describes himself on the air. Others also ascribe nicknames or titles and credentials that Limbaugh then uses for entertainment or political satire. Often Limbaugh furthers his schtick of "making (himself) look good" by giving himself accolades with phrases praising his own performance. Examples include:
- "Maha-Rushi" (from Maharishi, a great sage);
- "Defender of Motherhood" (socially conservative stance, including opposition to abortion);
- "Having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have."
- "Serving humanity just by being here, and it doesn't matter where here is."
- "Half my brain tied behind my back, just to make it fair."
- "Talent on loan from God"
- "The views expressed by the host on this program documented to be almost always right 99.7% of the time."
- "On the cutting edge of societal evolution."
- "Titular Head of the Republican Party";
- "Doctor of Democracy"
- "Your guiding light"
- "Don't doubt me!"
- "Meeting and surpassing audience expectations on a daily basis."
- "Harmless loveable little fuzzball and all around good/nice guy" (the nickname Limbaugh created for himself in response to the claim that he is the "most dangerous man in America").
Read more about this topic: The Rush Limbaugh Show
Famous quotes containing the word jargon:
“Institutional psychiatry is a continuation of the Inquisition. All that has really changed is the vocabulary and the social style. The vocabulary conforms to the intellectual expectations of our age: it is a pseudo-medical jargon that parodies the concepts of science. The social style conforms to the political expectations of our age: it is a pseudo-liberal social movement that parodies the ideals of freedom and rationality.”
—Thomas Szasz (b. 1920)
“In fast-moving, progress-conscious America, the consumer expects to be dizzied by progress. If he could completely understand advertising jargon he would be badly disappointed. The half-intelligibility which we expect, or even hope, to find in the latest product language personally reassures each of us that progress is being made: that the pace exceeds our ability to follow.”
—Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914)
“I prefer the honest jargon of reality to the outright lies of books.”
—Jean Rostand (18941977)