For some reason ash’s response to the following passage in a weekly column was never published. Maybe Mike the editor considered it a Potemkin letter.
This week's political term is "Potemkin village." The American Heritage dictionary defines it as "something that appears elaborate and impressive, but in actual fact lacks substance." The term comes from the 18th century, when Russian minister GRIGORI POTEMKIN supposedly ordered fake settlements erected to impress CATHERINE II during a visit to the Crimea.
Sen. STEVE RAUSCHENBERGER, R-Elgin, a candidate for governor, used "Potemkin village" to describe Blagojevich's programs while reaching out to middle-class voters last week. Be honest, how many of you middle-classers knew what the term meant without looking it up?
So according to the writers of Sunday’s political blurb, “Potemkin Village” is not in the lexicon of common knowledge. I find that disappointing, considering I’ve been reading and using the term for years. It’s a rich, all-purpose metaphor suitable for myriad occasions. For instance, one could, without resorting to hyperbole, describe the current administration as a “Potemkin presidency.”
Potemkin Village. Lexicon. Metaphor. Myriad. Hyperbole. How DID the casual reader get by before the advent of Google?