What's A Prominent Nobody?

I came across the term, "prominent nobody" and could not help but muse about what it meant. My first reaction was to question how a nobody can be prominent. If someone is prominent aren't they a somebody and an important somebody at that? Before dismissing the term as a contradiction, the light came on and sure enough there are all kinds of prominent nobodies floating around. There are nobodies who have become prominent but still qualify as a nobody. They are still a nobody because they have no credibility with prominent somebodies. At this point I should start listing the prominent nobodies I'm thinking of but my musing leads me to conclude that my prominent nobody could very well be your prominent somebody. I now find myself concluding that  " prominent nobody" is a term to be avoided unless it's meant as a "botta", a dig or slam. That it does nicely. Think Sarah Palin or Donald Trump or ....... oops, I said I wouldn't list any prominent nobodies. Scratch that last sentence, but really they are prominent nobodies. If you don't believe me, just imagine either one sitting in the White House as the Resident - in - Chief.

No comments: