Politico-speech practice

With the Olympics over the media has gone back to politics and, for students who have also gone back to the classrooms this week, now may be a good time to practice some of that politico-speak.

With the US election scheduled for November 4, we are all going to be bombarded with political news and views for the next month.

Last week we had the Democratic Convention with Barack Obama and his buddies blowing their trumpet and this week its Senator McCain and his Republican pals making a racket.

Believe me a good grasp of the issues the candidates present will help you, in any writing/speaking test situation or coffee table conversation – so let's get started.

This year the focus is on war/ terrorism, the economy, jobs, health, education, energy and the environment.

I've looked at the environment before in this column so let's focus now on war/terrorism as this is getting a lot of attention.

As the US is the land of the cowboy and the incumbent President comes from Texas, we should recall that it was 6 years ago when GW first talked about the smoking gun that could be a mushroom cloud.

His party, the Republicans, have a strong military tradition, and have chosen as their candidate an ex POW, Senator John McCain.

McCain is slated as someone who speaks straight from the heart and is prepared to make the hard decisions. However at 72, some have suggested that he may be past his expiry date.

And in the red corner, 25 years younger stands Barack Obama, who is asking Americans to vote for change. Such change, critics fear, is best not implemented by someone so "green".

So folks – as the next four weeks unfold, keep your ears open and think how you can use some of this language in your own experience.

Some of the best language can be found in speech writers' text. These politicians use the country's best writers and for the language student it is a valuable model to refer to.

Vocabulary and expressions

• Politico-speak – a politico is a person involved in politics. And politico-speak is the kind of jargon/ specialist language used by politicians – which is often very ambiguous or has double meanings.

• Bombarded – to bomb, attack, flood, shower down upon; I was bombarded with my wife's kisses after I bought her a diamond ring.

• Blowing their trumpet – To act in a boastful, self-promoting manner; Paris Hilton was always blowing her trumpet that she had lots of money.

• Making a racket - n .a loud unpleasant noise; the kids were making a racket.

• Good grasp - to have a good understanding; she had a good grasp of politics.

• Incumbent- in office, current, present, serving.

• Smoking gun - a gun that is smoking means it has been fired, identifies who fired the shot, declares who has the weapon that caused the harm.

• Mushroom cloud – the smoke that rises after a nuclear bomb/ weapon of mass destruction that comes in the form of a mushroom.

• POW – Prisoner of War

• Slated –scheduled, put down for, listed as; The Thai PM was slated for impeachment before he ran away to the UK.

• Straight from the heart-the truth, anything from the heart is meant to be more pure, whereas if it comes from the head it may be filtered or adjusted to appeal to others

• Past his expiry date – too old, like a loaf of bread on the shelf which has a date for when it should be thrown out, this expression is often applied to people