In a statement released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, Kim, whom Mr Trump has nicknamed "Rocket Man," said: "I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire."
Kim Jong Un fires back at Trump: "I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire." (via KCNA) pic.twitter.com/wZVdg5Q5Iq
— Jon Passantino (@passantino) September 21, 2017
The dictionary Merriam-Webster's official Twitter account tweeted that searches for the word dotard were as "high as a kite."
Kim Jong Un calls Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Searches for 'dotard' are high as a kite. https://t.co/HztPoLSjXi
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) September 21, 2017
Update: everyone in office is currently either looking up how to pronounce "dotard" or how to say it in Korean
— Cecilia Seiter (@cseiter17) September 21, 2017
Is this a word I can use in scrabble?#bigly #dotard
— Nayna (@River70) September 22, 2017
There were some who tried to guess what the word meant:
#dotard
— Feather Friend (@StarSong777) September 22, 2017
A person that stares at an eclipse without eye protection pic.twitter.com/pIGa6kwrQo
According to Merriam-Webster, a dotard is a person who is in a state of "senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness."
The word meant "imbecile" when it was first used in the 14th century. https://t.co/jqrHao0R9i
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) September 21, 2017
Dotard: a person exhibiting a decline in mental faculties; a weak-minded or foolish old person. https://t.co/HBJII0z7do pic.twitter.com/6hCQlGscvo
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 21, 2017
A South Korean freelance journalist tweeted that the original statement in Korean used a term that translated as "old beast lunatic," but became "dotard" in the English statement released by North Korea:
The Korean original statement said " " which means old beast lunatic -- which was translated into "dotard." https://t.co/2uQ0Xsxe2X
— Jihye Lee (@TheJihyeLee) September 21, 2017
The word soon began to trend on Twitter:
My favorite part about #dotard trending is that the Donald is the first person who pops up as a recommendation! pic.twitter.com/BjIok7Gqzb
— E5QUIRE (@Dj_E5QUIRE) September 22, 2017
Here's how Twitter reacted:
Looks up definition of "dotard." pic.twitter.com/kyf5j6J1DB
— Cameron Ridle (@CameronRidle) September 21, 2017
Everyone on Twitter
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 22, 2017
- OMG HE CALLED TRUMP A #dotard
- Is that a word?
- Wait...is that a real word?
- *looks up word*
- HE IS A DOTARD!
#dotard
— Funny Or Die (@funnyordie) September 22, 2017
dotard (ddd) noun
A word you didn't previously know existed, but googled today and said, "Damn, that's pretty accurate."
Rocket man & Dotard meet in nambia to avoid another bowling green massacre, Obama tapes the entire thing via microwave #dotard
— rjb (@RobinJOJO) September 22, 2017
'tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire'
— keshav (@Silence_Speaks) September 22, 2017
he should be writing dialogues for GoT https://t.co/aNCyKksrJD
Mentally deranged US dotard? That's pretty good actually. I'd definitely rather be referred to as Rocket Man. This round to Kim Jong-un. https://t.co/vgZcmcGDKJ
— Mark Congiusta (@interactivemark) September 21, 2017
Don't worry - Trump speechwriters are busy on https://t.co/YU989Sq4ae preparing our retaliation
— Mike Shannon (@miketymikecheck) September 21, 2017
Let the record show that @CharlesPPierce called Trump a dotard in May. #AmericaFirst pic.twitter.com/3XzGxs9sLo
— Schooley (@Rschooley) September 22, 2017
me laughing along with #dotard tweets but also watching for nuclear missiles to fall from the sky pic.twitter.com/pzMgf8Xi6W
— e b o n i | #WHY (@eboni_ebby) September 21, 2017
Son - Why do we live in a fallout shelter again?
— UnsilentMajority (@The_UnSilent_) September 22, 2017
Dad - well son it all started w/ a crazy man named Dotard & his arch nemesis Rocket Man... pic.twitter.com/pkGWDI9qpR
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