Words and their Stories: Great Scott
<p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="WORDS">WORDS</span> <span word="AND">AND</span> <span word="THEIR">THEIR</span> <span word="STORIES">STORIES</span>.</p><p><span word="Every">Every</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="expressing">expressing</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="emotions">emotions</span> -- <span word="surprise">surprise</span>, <span word="shock">shock</span>, <span word="anger">anger</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="range">range</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="mild">mild</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="strong">strong</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="exclamations">exclamations</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="oaths">oaths</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="curses">curses</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="swear">swear</span> <span word="words">words</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="ones">ones</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="speech">speech</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="change">change</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="times">times</span>, <span word="only">only</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="mild">mild</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="socially">socially</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="guaranteed">guaranteed</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="offend">offend</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="exclamations">exclamations</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="survived">survived</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="days">days</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="original">original</span> <span word="meanings">meanings</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="forgotten">forgotten</span>.</p><p><span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span>! <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="example">example</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="expresses">expresses</span> <span word="surprise">surprise</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="shock">shock</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>, "<span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span>! <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="married">married</span>!"</p><p><span word="Language">Language</span> <span word="expert">expert</span> <span word="Webb">Webb</span> <span word="Garrison">Garrison</span> <span word="tells">tells</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="interesting">interesting</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>.</p><p><span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Civil">Civil</span> <span word="War">War</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Whig">Whig</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="party">party</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="remain">remain</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="election">election</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="eighteen">eighteen</span> <span word="fifty">fifty</span>-<span word="two">two</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Whigs">Whigs</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="colorful">colorful</span> <span word="candidate">candidate</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="president">president</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Winfield">Winfield</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="candidate">candidate</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="thirty">thirty</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="general">general</span>, <span word="Winfield">Winfield</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span>-<span word="known">known</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>. <span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="captured">captured</span> <span word="Vera">Vera</span> <span word="Cruz">Cruz</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="occupied">occupied</span> <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span> <span word="City">City</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="party">party</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="Whig">Whig</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="elected">elected</span> <span word="president">president</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="Winfield">Winfield</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span>.</p>
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