Friday, August 28, 2009
TALKING THE WALK TO TALK ABOUt THE WALK
Today on CNN they had a segment showing how Ted Kennedy read with little kids, once a week every week, for years in a DC school near his office. One on one.
His first reading partner is now in college.
They said that this demonstrates how Kennedy "walked the walk".
Screeech. Honk! GODAMMIT!
This is a saying so often mis-said that it just drives me nuts.
The phrase is "walk the talk" or "if you are going to talk the talk you need to walk the walk". In other words, practice what you preach.
The first time I heard it was from a couple of guys who were working for the Department of the Navy under Admiral Zumwalt's program to reform personnel policy and practice.
This was reputedly, a Zumwalt meme.
I have always liked it but most people who try to use it mangle the shit out of it.
Most people and teevee talking heads babble on in word streams that are only partially based on proper usage or, for that matter, facts.
I guess that means that they are not "talking the walk". Hah.
Please, for me, use this phrase appropriately.
