Also: Our Mayor Is a Kooky Paranoiac

Taken in its entirety from City Room:

Mayor Bloomberg’s Least Favorite Word

By Diane Cardwell

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg may have a few words like “unconscionable” that he cannot say frequently enough, but there is at least one word he apparently cannot abide: “maintain.” It has such a negative connotation for the mayor that reporters wanting answers dare not speak its name.

Witness the exchange at a City Hall news conference this morning with a reporter, Michael Frazier of Newsday, who began a question this way:

“Mayor, you maintain that you kept a dialogue open with the Sean Bell demonstration–”

Mr. Bloomberg cut off Mr. Frazier, snapping: “‘Maintain’ is a word I don’t think is appropriate, sir. Next time you have a question, you want to insinuate that I lie, just talk to the press secretary. I don’t think we have a question for you.”

The reporter protested, “Yes you do.”

Mr. Bloomberg: “No I don’t, sir. We’ve finished it. ‘Maintain’ is a word that has an implication–”

Reporter: “Well I’m sorry. I didn’t mean–”

Mr. Bloomberg then called on another reporter, but could not resist a parting shot at Mr. Frazier, saying, “Got some nerve.”

For the record, Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition) lists one definition of “maintain” as “a) to uphold or defend, as by argument; affirm b) to declare in a positive way; assert.”

I wonder how he feels about these words: "Reactionary," "Petty," "Childish," "Doctrinaire," "Paranoid."

Queens Crap has the video.