Joe Millerism
- noun
- /ˈdʒoʊ ˈmɪlərˌɪzəm/
- Archaic
:
argumento superficial
- Critics accused the senator of relying on Joe Millerism rather than presenting substantive evidence.
Examples
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The discussion quickly turned bland with a series of Joe Millerism that failed to persuade anyone.
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Many comedians resort to Joe Millerisms to get laughs.
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Her essay was dismissed for its reliance on Joe Millerism and lack of critical analysis.
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His latest article is full of Joe Millerism.
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Critics accused the senator of relying on Joe Millerism rather than presenting substantive evidence.
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Her essay was dismissed for its reliance on Joe Millerism and lack of critical analysis.
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The discussion quickly turned bland with a series of Joe Millerism that failed to persuade anyone.
Synonyms
1
4.2
A reason that is weak and not supported by evidence
A reason that seems simple but is shallow and not careful
An explanation that is vague and lacks proof or important detail
An argument that has no real power to convince people
Antonyms
How Original
Surface Forms
Morphology
Joe + Millerism
The phrase depends on a specific cultural or historical reference (the name 'Joe Miller' / the coinage 'Millerism') rather than ordinary compositional meaning; a B1 learner who knows 'Joe' but has no lexical entry for 'Millerism' cannot infer 'superficial or shallow argument' from the parts. The suffix -ism only signals a doctrine or practice and does not transparently yield the sense 'superficial argument', so prior exposure or background knowledge is required.
Etymology
Joe Millerism comes from an old joke book called Joe Miller's Jests, named after the actor Joe Miller. The book collected many short, often tired jokes, so a Joe Millerism came to mean a shallow or 'unoriginal' remark.