How the 'bully pulpit' has shaped American English

[Erik_Kowal]

"The office of the president offers a lot of responsibilities and privileges. Your actions drive the world's most powerful military, billions of dollars worth of domestic policy and, perhaps most importantly, the way the country speaks.

That's what linguist and writer Paul Dickson contends in his new book, Words From the White House. It's a look back through history at the words and phrases popularized by our presidents — including the ones they don't get credit for anymore":

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/20/169412675 ... e-in-words

An excerpt from Dickson's book:

http://www.npr.org/books/titles/1694146 ... -p#excerpt