President Obama's "You Didn't Build That" comment
“I regret the syntax”
 | By Guest Column Virginia Sparks (Bio and Archives) Friday, September 7, 2012 | Print friendly | Subscribe | Email Us |
In reference to the now famous words, “You didn’t build that”, when asked if he regretted them, the President responded, “I regret the syntax”. That puzzled me a little, so I clarified the dictionary definition of syntax. Syntax means the order of words and their relationship between other words and other structural elements of a sentence. I had to chuckle. What does he wish he said? Build that you didn’t? You built that, not? As I see it it means the same no matter the order of the words.
It continues to amaze me that this man cannot or will not admit a mistake. That’s a fairly serious character flaw.
He is, perhaps, wishing he hadn’t used the word syntax. Regardless, the President said, “You didn’t build that”.
Now did he mean it or did he not? It isn’t complicated.
Virginia Sparks
Rotonda West, FL
Items of notes and interest from the web.
