It is said that the more important, the more prevalent, the more influential, the more dominant, the more frequent a phenomenon exists in any given society, culture, tribe, nation, even cult…the more words exist for it.

For example, it is believed that the Arctic-dwelling Inuits have about two dozen words for Ice.

Think, for instance, how many words Laplanders must have for Snow.

How many words Bedouins must have for Sand.

Pacific Islanders must have for Ocean.

Rain forest tribes for Trees.

Subsistence farmers have for Sun and Rain.

Etc.

Now consider these terms: Balderdash. Piffle. Malarkey. Hogwash. Poppycock. Rubbish. Claptrap. Blarney. Baloney. Rot. Garbage. Tripe. Bilge. Moonshine.Drivel. Bosh. Tosh. Hooey. Phooey. Hokum. Twaddle. Gobbledygook. Flapdoodle. Bunk. Jive. Guff. Hot Air. Codswallop. Bunkum. Nonsense. Hoodwink. Swindle. Defraud. Pretend. Cheat. Trick. Dupe. Hedge. Tommyrot. Gonif. Charlatan. Sting. Bunco. Hustle. Rip-off. Quack. Lie. Untruth. Fib. Falsehood. Fabrication. Fiction. Invention. Cock-and-bull story. Tall story. Tall tale. Flight of fancy. Fairy tale. Mountebank. Feigned. Whopper, Phony, Double-dealing, Hypocritical. Ersatz, Pseudo. Fake. Bogus. Mock. Sham. Counterfeit. Dodge. Prevaricate. Misinform. Disinform. Con. Grift. Pull a fast one. Bamboozle. Gull. Delude. Fool. Sucker. Snooker. Stiff. Dissemble. Duplicity. Mendacity. Sham. Dishonest. Phew. I’m exhausted. Guess I can afford to omit the voluminous vulgar slang.

Now consider this: In an English-speaking civilization such as–oh say–America, brimming with Trumpian-Kingdom cultists, exemplified by an insidiously tiny clot of Supreme Court jesters, and buttressed by those loyal colonies of self-serving dishonesty, Fox News, Newsmask, er, max, berserk rightwing radio, etc., it would seem–wouldn’t it?– that such a superabundance of connected terms suggests that maybe, just maybe, our republic is spilling over with… BULLSHIT!