Evening star., 1938-02-13
ROOSEVELT TOPS
PHRASE CO|NERS
Teddy RooseveIt's Words,
However, Attracted Die
tionary Makers.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press
NEW YORK, 12.-President Roose-
welt already has become the foremost
coiner of popular phrases among all
American Presidents, according to q
photographer and publisher.
With most of his second term
ahead of him." DR.. Funk said In an
interview today. "the President should
set = mark difficult for any successor
to surpass. He and his aides have
been unprecedently adept in crystal
1izing phrases that are quickly compre-
hensible, attach themselves to the
memory easily and fit into headlines
readily"
In his analysis the dictionary pub
Usher listed New Deal" the forgot
ten man, modern Tories" economic
royallsts," princes of privilege" gold
hoarders," Democratic industry" off
the record" "fireside chat" the more
abundant life" pump printing"
oraln trust" quarantine of nations"
Planned economy" good neighbor
policy" and the general alphabetizing
OF the functions of Government.
An outcropping of phrases traceable
to the New Deal" he said, Includes
such expressions as the 59-cent dollar
soak the RICH 'boondoggling,' alpha
bet soup packing the court and the
nine old men,"
Must Take Back Seat.
But the President must still take a
back seat to Theodore Roosevelt. DR..
Funk said, in the coming or popular
azing OF expressions that attract the
attention Of dictionary makers"
Among them he listed trust busting, d"
"mollycoddle, square DEAL" "fraz-
zle, nature taking" Bull Moose"
pussyfooting' and weasel words"
THE former President Roosevelt in
vented a word as we'll as a phrase in
his warning not to chinafy' America
while he was pleading for prepared
ness said DR.. Funk Among his
other famous expressions were the
strenuous life,' speak softly but carry
a big stick predatory wealth. 'unde-
sirable citizens my spear knows no
brother and we stand at Armageddon
0Au ootClc lOT Tile LOTQ.
He cited Woodrow Wilson as "an
outstanding phrase maker" with his
watchful waiting too proud to
fight" subsequently revamped into
the successful campaign slogan He
kept us out of war;, make the world
safe for democracy" "self-determina-
ton of nations" and the fourteen
points"
Mckinley Phrase Stuck.
cleveland invented the whimsical
phrase 'innocuous desuetude' and Nc
kinleys administration featured the
full dinner pail" said the publisher
This idea was revived and enlarged
years later by Hoover's "A chicken in
every pot complemented by two cars
IN every garage This was before he
predicted grass will grow in the
streets
"Harding's popularity was enhanced
considerably by his phrase back to
normalcy.' Coolidge was a succint
speaker and more famous phrases
might have been expected of him. But
his best-remembered was I do not
choose to run"
Often phrases have had far-rea ching
powers to build up or destroy-more
than they merited, DR.. Funk observed
but many in his list are meaningless
or almost forgotten today, such as
"Tippecanoe and Tyler. too." rum,
Romanism and rebellion; waving
the bloody shirt" and burn that let
ter"
But one of the oldest in American
history. Washington's warning against
"foreign entanglements, he said. has
seemingly controlled our foreign pol
icY to this dav"