An avid golfer, Dwight Eisenhower helped bring the word "mulligan" into the mainstream.
- US presidents have had a major impact on the English language.
- Presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump have helped introduce words into our speech.
- Some of the words presidents helped popularize include "mulligan," "sugarcoat," and even "OK."
For as long as the United States has existed, Americans have played close attention to what the president says.
So it's no surprise that presidents have had a huge impact on the English language itself.
Presidents are responsible for introducing millions of Americans to words that we now consider ordinary. Thomas Jefferson, for example, is responsible for bringing the word "pedicure" over from France, while Abraham Lincoln gifted us with "sugarcoat."
Meanwhile, the ubiquitous word "OK" has a lengthy history closely intertwined with our eighth president, Martin Van Buren.
Read on to discover the presidential origins of 11 common words we use today.