I gotta ask: where did 'Shrub' come from??

[thephaseshift]

I've been following these forums for a month now and still can't figure out why Bush is called 'Shrub'.
For that matter, what about 'freepers'?? I heard it's short for 'Free Republic' or something, but so what? You guys seem to use it as a blanket term for 'republican trolls' or something like that.

'Repugs' and 'repukes' are clear enough I suppose(!)

[liveoaktx]

1. Molly Ivins/Texas- Shrub is a little Bush.

[sportndandy]

2. Short for shrubbery

Now take a herring cut down the tallest tree in the forest.

[HawkerHurricane]

3. From the name of GW's oil company...

Arbusto Oil... GW said it was Spanish for 'bush', but most Spanish/English dictionaries translate it to 'a shrub'.

Freepers is what the denizens of the Free Republic website call themselves; we've adopted it for any mindless Republican webitzens.

[NMDemDist2]

4. see this handy DU glossary cached by google don't know where the page went

http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:IT95GFuYFUcJ:dug.seattleactivist.org/+seattle+activist&hl=en&client=firefox-a


"Originally used in the Molly Ivins Book: 'Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush'" --arwalden "This comes from the Spanish word 'arbusto' I believe Which was the name of one of his many failed business ventures. You see, he thought it was Spanish for "bush," when it really meant "shrub." A minor but hilarious distinction



also has "Freeper" and BFEE and other handy terms listed

[progressoid]

7. Well that's a handy chart - thanks

[McCamy Taylor]

5. I prefer Baby Bush from Baby Doc and Papa Doc

[Greybnk48]

6. shrub/arbusto

Bush named one of his failed companies in TX Arbusto mistakenly thinking that ARbusto was the Spanish word for bush when in fact the word means schrub.

[whalerider55]

8. it also...

reminds us of Monty Python and the Holy Grail- find thee shrubbery"

whalerider55

[merh]

9. Shrub = GWB = clown-n-chief = idiot-n-charge

but I prefer the weed that would be king or just the weed.

[coloradodem2005]

10. He came from the mouth of hell.

To answer your question. ;)

[lawladyprof]

14. I thought the exact same thing--just spontaneously how I'd answer--eom

[jburton]

11. I've heard several versions for "Shrub"

I believe the first time it was in print was Molly Ivins (shrub is the 'junior' version of bush)

But I believe Ann Richards and Jim Hightower used it as well. I think Ann called him "Junior" more than anything though, and when it was pointed out that he wasn't technically a Jr., she said that was just because he was "one Herbert short" of being a Jr.

[JudyM]

12. Ya just gotta love her! nt

[skids]

13. "shrub" was Nicholson's radio character in Grand Theft Auto 3

"Congressman Shrub" was a conservative politician on the radio
in Grand Theft Auto 3 Vice City. He was doing an obvious impression
of Bush Senior.

[txindy]

15. Gov. Ann Richards liked to use it.

Molly Ivins may have coined it, first, though. Either way, it works for me! I do prefer 'Junior', though, to 'Shrub' but the underlying def. is the same.

[Quakerfriend]

16. Welcome to DU phaseshift !!

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