Addlepated

The first known use of the word “addlepated” was in 1641.  It meant stupid or confused.  Other definitions came along:  mixed up, disjointed, mentally uncertain, garbled, illogical, scattered, opaque, flustered, befuddled, unable to think with clarity or act intelligently, confounded and perplexed. Addlepated goes along with words like addlebrained, muddleheaded, and puddingheaded. 

In old English an adel eye was a putrid or rotten egg. The stench of a rotten egg caused some witty minds to hatch up a comparison between “the diminished, unsound quality of adel (rotten) egg and an empty, confused head or pate.” Thus, a new word was born: addlepated.  “Your owne imagination, which was no lesse Idle, then your head was addle all that day,” wrote a 17th century wit playing with the words idle and addle.  Addled has come to mean unable to think clearly, but once simply meant a rotten egg.

My mind becomes more and more addled the more I listen to Mr. Trump.  When he says one thing and it is recorded on video for all to see and hear and then says he never said such a thing, my mind is addled.  Or could it be that he is addlepated? I’m not sure what is what or which is which. 

Sometimes I wonder if making citizens addlepated is the modus operandi of the present administration.  For example, it was just reported that the federal deficit jumped 17%  as the new tax cuts eat into government revenue—and this under a Republican majority whose goal has always been (so it was said) to reduce the deficit.  Mulvaney blames Congress for irresponsible and unnecessary spending.  Mitch McConnell called the “growing deficit” under his watch “very disturbing.”  He claims the problem isn’t tax cuts nor the increase in military spending, but rather the big three entitlement programs:  Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  I think I smell addled (rotten) eggs.  Maybe not?  Maybe I’m addlepated?  Maybe the politicians want us to be addlepated?  Or maybe, they, themselves are addlepated?  Your guess is as good as mine.