Over the last month, the world has been enthralled to an exhausting degree by the U.S. presidential election. The debates have been contentious and infuriating to some, but most of all, they have been confusing.
Simply put: no one knows if Donald Trump is saying “bigly” or “big league” when he’s trying to put a stamp on his future actions. Many have mocked Trump saying “bigly” isn’t even a word, in an attempt to paint a picture of his ignorance.
https://twitter.com/lindsey_kolb/status/788920403171442688
The fact is, bigly is a word, even though Grammerly has put a little red line under it as I write this.
Yes, "bigly" is in the dictionary. #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/OCf3CRs7Bp
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) February 26, 2016
Twitter detectives have also worked to put this bigly/big league debate in context.
https://twitter.com/fivefifths/status/788915147733602305
Clinton: "He'd rather have a puppet"
Trump: "No you're the puppet. [na na na na boo boo]"#debate— Taylen Peterson 🈚️ (@taylen24) October 20, 2016
Figuring out "bigly/big league" is the new figuring out "Flo Rida/Florida"
— Chris Steller (@chris_steller) October 20, 2016
Question at my viewing party: Is Trump saying ‘bigly’ or ‘big league’? I say Big League. What say you?
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) October 20, 2016
It could be, but it's not. #bigly https://t.co/uAtOYJaFd6
— John Heilemann (@jheil) October 20, 2016
https://twitter.com/pattymo/status/788919237129756672
"If you believe that …then you do…I believe Bigly is a word… and it's in our constitution…constitution….BELIEVE ME" #TRUMPQUOTES
— vanessa bednar (@VanessaBednar) October 20, 2016
Can I get a clarification… Bigly or Big League both seem dumb, but one is worse than the other. #Debates2016
— Sean D. Francis (@SeanDFrancis) October 20, 2016
But there are questions we aren’t asking. Big league questions that will blow our minds bigly.
https://twitter.com/nickconfessore/status/788920620021055488
Many of Trump’s supporters and even his surrogates are using bigly to describe his positions of power. It’s not going over well.
https://twitter.com/EmmaHayden/status/788928651794448384
https://twitter.com/fmmiyakawa/status/788928590930845696
In just a few weeks, the election will be over (maybe not if Trump refuses to step down if he loses), but this big league/bigly debate will possibly rage on forever. What is it — bigly or big league? That is the cloud that hangs over us bigly.