Sometimes people are primed to hear in a certain way. When a word like braggadocious suddenly appears, it's like, 'What, is he just making that up?'
Ben ZimmerEven though a definite article is supposed to bring something into focus, Donald Trump uses it in a very general way. It's seen by many observers as a kind of racial distancing. Often using that article seems unnecessary. [But] it is serving some function, which is to represent a group collectively rather than as individuals.
Ben ZimmerHillary Clinton has been portrayed as robotic, someone who is trying to approximate real human emotion.
Ben ZimmerDonald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow a trajectory.
Ben Zimmer