In the latest installment of Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson writes about the current occupant’s day at the UN:
The speech was a dark fantasy of narcissism and Christian nationalism that struck at the heart of the very concept of the United Nations. In its wake, some journalists demolished Trump’s wild claims, while others bemoaned his destruction of diplomacy by berating our friends and allies while they were guests in our country. But it was foreign affairs journalist Ishaan Tharoor who captured the larger story of Trump’s speech.Yes, some.
“A senior foreign diplomat posted at the U.N. texts me,” Tharoor wrote, “‘This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?’”
[I’d like to remove the comma after stark, but I’m respecting the source.]
comments: 3
Maybe it’s a British English comma? Phrase Finder UK says a comma is correct between stark and raving:
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/stark-raving-mad.html
PS. Cringingly, excruciatingly embarrassing.
Hmm: the OED has it only without the comma (and all its citations are without the comma — maybe they didn’t want to confuse things by adding the Dryden line.
The relevant OED definition: “To the fullest extent or degree; absolutely, utterly, completely.” And the explanation of the phrase: “Modifying a participial adjective, esp.staring, raving. Now usually in stark raving (alsostaring) mad.”
You could also say that the current occupant is starkers — both mad and naked (an emperor without clothes).
(I removed an earlier version of this comment whose formatting messed up all that followed.)
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