turd blossom

{{Short description|Texan United States term}}

"Turd blossom" is a Texan United States term for a flower which grows from a pile of cow dung.{{cite news

|last=Freeman

|first=Alan

|title=Scandal dogs Republican mastermind

|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050713.wxrove13/BNStory/International/

|work=The Globe and Mail

|date=July 13, 2005

|access-date=September 17, 2017

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907053421/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050713.wxrove13/BNStory/International

|archive-date=September 7, 2008

|url-status=dead

}}{{cite news |last1=Horton |first1=Scott |title=Turd Blossom: The Flower that Dare Not Speak Its Name |url=https://harpers.org/2007/08/turd-blossom-the-flower-that-dare-not-speak-its-name/ |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Harper's Magazine |date=14 August 2007}}

The term gained fame in the United States in 2004 as a nickname that was reportedly assigned by former U.S. President George W. Bush as a term of endearment for his former chief political advisor, Karl Rove.{{cite news

|title=The brains

|work=The Guardian

|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1165126,00.html

|date=March 9, 2004

| location=London

| first=Julian

| last=Borger

| accessdate=May 26, 2010

}} In July 2005, several newspapers declined to run two Doonesbury comic strips portraying Bush addressing Rove by this nickname.{{cite news|archivedate=September 9, 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050909103552/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000991789|last=Twiddy|first=David|date=July 26, 2005|agency=Associated Press|title=Some Papers Pull, Edit 'Doonesbury' Strip After 'Turd Blossom' Reference|url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000991789}}