Last night in my dozen observations on the debate I wrote:
5. [Romney] also made some sort of reference to coming from the “streets of America.” Romney is a fine man, but if there’s anyone less “street” than Mitt Romney I don’t know who it could be. If he’s street than I’m the shock collar for a vicious Mexican drug gang.
Well it turns out that the term is “shot caller” as in “he who calls the shots.” I’ve always heard “shock caller” when watching such shows as Sons of Anarchy. The term made vague sense to me in that it seems like the “shock collars” were the folks who took care of things on the inside of prison when it was time to pull some the leash on someone or some such. Before I wrote that last night I even googled “gang” and “shock collar.” There were enough results that I figured I could move on. But this morning, after being corrected by readers, I went and re-checked. I was wrong.
My apologies.
Here’s my greatest fear: If Romney knew that it was “shot caller” and not “shock caller,” one could arguably claim that Romney was more “street” than me all along.
But is having more street cred than Jonah Goldberg really all that high of a hurdle to clear? I don't think you need to be some back-flipping parkour savant to jump up to curb height here, with all due respect.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHilarious. You never listened to Diddy's "All about the Benjamins?"
"What y'all wanna do?
Wanna be ballers? Shot callers?
Brawlers?"
You never read Tom Wolfe's "A Man in Full"?
Face it. You're about as "street" as a bowl of mashed potatoes. Remember the "street" can be a kill zone and we know Goldberg don't do no kill zones.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat's an example of an eggcorn.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe internet claims that "calling the shots" or "shot caller" are terms that derived from target shooting, not from any "street" or gang origin.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney more "street" than you, Jonah? Isn't that like being the tallest building in Wichita?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJonah -
Have you ever left the cap off of the toothpaste tube? If so, I'm pretty sure you're more street than Romney.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAny butler who left the cap off Mr. Romney's Proven Capitalist Private Sector Toothpaste would find himself fired as quick as a Beltway Celebrity.
Of course The Fashion would think otherwise, but it's Not Wrong to like Firing People
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI love ya G, but shock collar? How many bangers do you think have an electric fence so they can train their poodle to stay in the yard? I love the honesty, though. Not many middle aged guys who are trying to remain current would fess up to it.
Congrats on being whiter than Mitt Romney!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou ain't street, you sidewalk!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitt's down with it - we patched him over. (Did you notice the ink on his shoulder? Was a rhinoceros but is now a tea bag).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot to get all VDH on you, but hubris, meet nemesis.
I am as white bread with mayo as a human being can be without being an extra for The Omega Man, but even I realize that a middle-aged political columnist for a conservative magazine commenting on someone's street cred was just desperately asking to be slapped down.
Yeah, those of us in the chess club just can't believe what incredible geeks those debate club kids are.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat's what's known as a mondegreen. An example from Wikipedia: ..There's a bathroom on the right (the line at the end of each verse of "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival: "There's a bad moon on the rise")
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe fact that you didn't know the term (and I didn't, either) proved your point quite effectively.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis from the guy who threw a Stringer Bell reference out there - thanks for furthering the stereotype of people who love The Wire!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat if a viewer doesn't really learn ANYTHING about being "street" from watching "Sons of Anarchy?" It's not a documentary on street life. It's not even shot on location. It is a fictional fantasy that is not written by members of a biker gang. Did "Pulp Fiction" teach us anything about drug dealers?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd I had you pegged as a Lil' Troy fan, Jonah...
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As much as I would love to pile on Jonah for his assertion that he has even a passing acquaintance with street cred I cannot.
He's a guy. And all guys like to think of themselves as being bad *$$, even if they are as plain vanilla as Mitt and Jonah.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse20 inch blades on the impala?
Why should anyone wish to mount multiple large cutting-edges on an antelope ? I am baffled.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitt Romney and the mean streets of Bloomfield Hills! Not exactly 8 mile!
Mitt really needs to learn to throw a punch.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJust be sure when you're covering the next acendency to the papacy you know it's a crozier and not a "crow's ear" as was aired on network TV.
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