Turd Blossom

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Turd Blossom, according to partisans of Karl Rove and George W. Bush, is a Texan term for a flower which grows from a pile of cow dung [1]. The term has gained notoriety in the United States of America, as reportedly this is one of President George W. Bush's terms of endearment for his chief political advisor, Karl Rove [2].

Few, if any, native Texans would recognize this definition of 'turd blossom.' 'Turd blossom' was used in 1960's Texas high school slang to describe the spreading smell of a fart, or the spreading stain of a loose bowel movement. Neither Rove nor George W. Bush attended high school in Texas, and they may have been unfamiliar with the original use of the word. 'Fart blossom' was a common variant.

In July 2005, several newspapers declined to run two Doonesbury strips portraying Bush addressing Rove by this nickname.