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Agter die lessenaar van daardie platjie-minister Hendrik Schoeman van ‘n vorige generasie anderster soort politici as vandag was ‘n spreuk met die strekking dat ‘n diplomaat iemand is wat jou warm plek toe kan stuur sodat jy uitsien na die reis.
Die diplomasie en die politiek is in hierdie opsig nie bedmaats nie. Politici praat tradisioneel padlangser. Die politieke retoriek is dikwels robuust, soos in die vorige blog opgemerk.
Ook in die robuuster politieke retoriek kan egter onderskei word tussen beledigings met styl en sonder styl. In eersgenoemde kom ‘n elegansie van taalgebruik na vore wat in die moderne tyd met sy voorliefde vir sterk vierletter-woorde skaars voorkom.
Hier is enkele voorbeelde uit ‘n skat van ouwêreldse beledigings:
“He had delusions of adequacy.” – Walter Kerr .
“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” – Winston Churchill. “A modest little person, with much to be modest about.” – Winston Churchill. “I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”- Clarence Darrow.
“hat man couldn’t negotiate his way out of a toilet” – Onbekende (oor Arthur Scargill, linkse vakbondleier).
“I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.”- Stephen Bishop.
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” – Abraham Lincoln.
Van woorde gepraat, hier ‘n paar voorbeelde van elegante beledigings uit die omgewing van die lettere:
“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” – William Faulkner (oor Ernest Hemingway).
“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” – Ernest Hemingway (oor William Faulkner).
“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” – Moses Hadas.
“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” – Mark Twain.
“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” – Oscar Wilde.
Wag, netnou hou julle op lees voordat ek ophou skryf!