Misspeaking will be the lasting legacy of Bush's public performances. But not all Bushisms are alike: they fall, fairly neatly, into three categories. In the first and classic version, it's easy enough to tell what the president was trying to say, even if he manages to mangle his syntax more spectacularly than you might have deemed possible.

("Families is where our nation finds home, where wings take dream"; "Suiciders are willing to take innocent life in order to send the projection that this is an impossible mission"; and his immortal commentary on the difficulties facing gynaecologists: "Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practise their love with women all across this country.") In the second variety, the intended meaning is still discernible, but the result is almost zen-like, hinting at deeper significance or perhaps intentional humour. ("They misunderestimated me"; "What we Republicans should stand for is growth in the economy: we ought to make the pie higher.") Only a small number are truly, majestically baffling. "This is still a dangerous world," Bush noted in Iowa in 2000. "It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mential losses." The incidence of good Bushisms has sharply decreased in recent years, though he was on good form last September in Washington DC, recounting a trip to the seaside. "I didn't grow up in the ocean," he said. "As a matter of fact - near the ocean - I grew up in the desert. Therefore, it was a pleasant contrast to see the ocean. And I particularly like it when I'm fishing."

Labels: bush, humor