Our thanks to Alert Reader, who asked if Abraham Lincoln really did say that the difference between using the right word and the almost-right word is as big as that “between the lightning bug and the lightning.” We attributed it to Mr. Lincoln in our editorial Friday, A.R. noted, but wasn’t it really Mark Twain who said that?
Why not both? Every good phrase lacks no shortage of authors to credit with it. A dip into Google reveals that some, including Samuel Clemens himself, attributed it to Josh Billings, a contemporary humorist whose name has not worn as well as Mark Twain’s. Possibly the witticism was in wide circulation back then. Or maybe not. But it seems to have gained renewed power-and relevance-since this drip-drip-drip of scandals out of the White House suddenly turned into a flash flood. It does every time we have a president who’s too clever by half, and too slick by three-quarters.
We are much obliged to Alert Reader for inquiring-and for reading us closely.
We depend on close readers to keep us straight. If that is possible.
Editorial, Pages 16 on 05/22/2013