You come in all shooting for bear

Posted: May 12, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ABC’s Terry Moran interviewed Trump recently. In the course of the interview, Moran asked Trump if he trusted Putin. https://abcnews.go.com/US/full-transcript-trumps-exclusive-100-days-broadcast-interview/story?id=121291672

TERRY MORAN: Do you trust him?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don’t trust you. I don’t trust — I don’t trust a lot of people. I don’t trust you. Look at you. You come in all shooting for bear. You’re so happy to do the interview.

TERRY MORAN: I am happy —

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And then you start hitting me with fake questions. You start tellin’ me that a guy — whose hand is covered with a tattoo —

TERRY MORAN: Alright. We’re back to that.

This is a conflation of “loaded for bear” (fully prepared for a challenge) and “shooting from the hip” (speak recklessly or impulsively). A big thanks to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in!

We can break history

Posted: September 28, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is one of my favorites.  Donald Trump Jr. uttered this one when discussing the upcoming midterm elections.  He told ABC news, “So our people, the MAGA people, they have to turn out. They have to get out and vote. And I think we can break history.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-jr-father-trusts-smaller-group-aides-white/story?id=57735562

This is a mash up of “make history” (to do something historically significant) and I think “break a record” (to do something at a higher or greater degree than the greatest extent currently known).  Both expressions refer to achieving something never before achieved so it is close to a congruent conflation.  “Break with tradition” (to do something in a new way) might also be in the mix.  I am tempted to say “break wind” (to expel gas, fart) was also on the speaker’s mind but that is just a guess.  A big thanks to Jack Chandler for spotting this gem.