Dis- Words & Mayor Pete

Another of those mid-night moments of dream/awake musing, this time on the word "dismember." All of a sudden, around 4:00 am, it popped in my head like an unwelcome flashbulb. Actually, I was thinking about forgetting something and I used the slangy "disremember." Naturally, that led me to "dismember" and the apparent connection between the two meanings of "-member." In "dismember" it suggests a human or animal limb, and in "disremember" it seems to be about cutting off a thought or memory. The prefix -dis means "without," as in "without a limb" and "without a thought or memory." That thought then led me to other -dis prefix words, like disbelieve, disable, disguise, discover, disillusion, disaster (interesting image there?), discomfort (and discomfit—another interesting pair), and disorder, all of which have sensible meanings when you take them to mean "without whatever is the meaning of the root word." But what about these? Distinct (?), distort (?), disdain (?), dishabille, and, especially, discombobulate? I wasn't sure of any of the root meanings so I gave it up until morning when I could do some etymological digging.  I seem to spend too many sleep hours chasing words around in my head. Only after I'd already posted this did I remember that -dis word that actually became its own new word, the verb "to diss." It has become the most toxic word anyone of color can accuse someone else of doing to them, to disrespect them. How could I have disremembered that word?

Last night we watched Chris Matthews on Hardball in a Q & A with the young mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg. They were in California with Mayor Pete fielding questions from the audience and Mathews, and I now know why the young man is so popular with voters, especially young voters. He is remarkably well-spoken--clear and quick and despite his youth (37), seems to be politically astute. In that way he’s much like AOC on the distaff side. Although we’ve moved ahead on issues of sexuality in the past year or two, we still have a long way to go, and his being openly gay right now would make it impossible for him to win the Democratic nomination and run for president. Maybe in 2028, but not now. I can, though, certainly see him as being successful as a vice presidential candidate on a Biden/Buttigieg ticket. He’d have my vote and that of most of the LGBTQ community as well as many women of all colors. Whatever it takes to get Trump out of here would be wonderful. So, let’s go, Joe and Pete. Make us all proud.