Stealing from Stein

Over recent days, a number of US politicians and officials, including the semi-literate Sean Spicer, have used the line "There's no there there."

We would bet any amount that none of these persons, with the possible exception of the first to borrow the line, knows that it originated with Gertrude Stein.

Ms. Stein was talking about Oakland, California, where her family lived during much of her childhood. She spent most of her adult life in Paris. As for returning to Oakland, she said, "There's no there there." (Of course, that was before 1968, when the A's arrived.)

Our recommendation for the Washington hacks now using (and misusing) the line: they should take a few weeks off and read "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas."