Catbird seat
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="catbird">catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="swing">swing</span> <span word="voter">voter</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sits">sits</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="catbird">catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="First">First</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="swing">swing</span> <span word="voter">voter</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="vote">vote</span> <span word="swings">swings</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="election">election</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="vote">vote</span> <span word="counts">counts</span>, <span word="may">may</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="wins">wins</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="election">election</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="candidates">candidates</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="person">person</span> “<span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="catbird">catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>”, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="an">an</span> <span word="advantageous">advantageous</span> <span word="position">position</span> – <span word="both">both</span> <span word="candidates">candidates</span> <span word="covet">covet</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="vote">vote</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="please">please</span> <span word="him">him</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="catbird">catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="equals">equals</span> <span word="advantage">advantage</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="allow">allow</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="explain">explain</span>.</p><p><span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="subtitle">subtitle</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Yorker">Yorker</span> <span word="online">online</span>: <span word="House">House</span> <span word="Republicans">Republicans</span>’ <span word="bungling">bungling</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="payroll">payroll</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="catbird">catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>... (<span word="Obama">Obama</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="Present">Present</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Cassidy">Cassidy</span>, <span word="December">December</span> 22, 2011).</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Republicans">Republicans</span> <span word="messing">messing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Democrats">Democrats</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="general">general</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Barack">Barack</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span>, <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="re">re</span>-<span word="election">election</span> (<span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="present">present</span> <span word="analogy">analogy</span>).</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Yorker">Yorker</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="relevant">relevant</span> <span word="because">because</span> “<span word="Catbird">Catbird</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="coined">coined</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Yorker">Yorker</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="cartoonist">cartoonist</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="humor">humor</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="James">James</span> <span word="Thurber">Thurber</span> (1894-1961), <span word="who">who</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="explained">explained</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="article">article</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="title">title</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Catbird">Catbird</span> <span word="Seat">Seat</span> (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Yorker">Yorker</span>, <span word="Nov">Nov</span>. 14, 1942):</p><p><span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Martin">Martin</span> <span word="bought">bought</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pack">pack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Camels">Camels</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="crowded">crowded</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="store">store</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Broadway">Broadway</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="theatre">theatre</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="clerk">clerk</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="glance">glance</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Martin">Martin</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pack">pack</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="overcoat">overcoat</span> <span word="pocket">pocket</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="out">out</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="staff">staff</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="F">F</span> & <span word="S">S</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="astonished">astonished</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Martin">Martin</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="had">had</span>. <span word="No">No</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="him">him</span>.</p>
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