What’s weird is the way the meaning of “weird” has changed. Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz scored a hit and created a meme when he labeled not only his opponent JD Vance but the whole Trumpian and Republican crew as “weird.” It has turned out to be an effective weapon in the war of “vibes” that this election has turned into. I welcome it, but it is an unexpected reversal of a situation that had lasted my whole lifetime, and the Republicans are not the only ones caught off guard by it.
I remember telling my 6th grade teacher that the "i before e except after c" rule seemed "weird." I didn't know then that it was covered by the "except to say 'eh' as in 'neighbor' or 'weigh'" exception. Only when I studied Shakespeare's "Macbeth" did I learn that the "weird women" were actually "wayward," the word "weird" being a contraction. ¶ We might say that Trumpism is wayward, taking followers astray.
I remember telling my 6th grade teacher that the "i before e except after c" rule seemed "weird." I didn't know then that it was covered by the "except to say 'eh' as in 'neighbor' or 'weigh'" exception. Only when I studied Shakespeare's "Macbeth" did I learn that the "weird women" were actually "wayward," the word "weird" being a contraction. ¶ We might say that Trumpism is wayward, taking followers astray.