What Does Liddle Mean? Trump Has Used the Word Before

The word ‘Liddle’ has became a point of contention again for President Donald Trump.

On Friday, Trump took aim at CNN for the network’s chyron—the digital text display at the bottom of the television screen—for making it look like he made a spelling error in one of his tweets about Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff.

“Liddle’ Adam Schiff, who has worked unsuccessfully for 3 years to hurt the Republican Party and President, has just said that the Whistleblower, even though he or she only had second hand information, “is credible,” Trump tweeted. “How can that be with zero info and a known bias. Democrat Scam!”

Liddle’ Adam Schiff, who has worked unsuccessfully for 3 years to hurt the Republican Party and President, has just said that the Whistleblower, even though he or she only had second hand information, “is credible.” How can that be with zero info and a known bias. Democrat Scam!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2019

While not an official word in the dictionary, Trump has used the word ‘Liddle’ before as slang for “Little” when referring to political foes.

But CNN’s chyron referred to Trump’s tweet using the word ‘Liddle’ without the punctuation Trump used in his tweet, when he referred to “Liddle’ Adam Schiff,” which Trump said made it look like he spelled “Little” wrong.

Things became were made more confusing when trump referred to his apostrophe after “Liddle” as a hyphen.

“Low ratings @CNN purposely took the hyphen out and said I spelled the word little wrong,” Trump tweeted. “A small but never ending situation with CNN!”

To show you how dishonest the LameStream Media is, I used the word Liddle’, not Liddle, in discribing Corrupt Congressman Liddle’ Adam Schiff. Low ratings @CNN purposely took the hyphen out and said I spelled the word little wrong. A small but never ending situation with CNN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2019

Not to worry. Merriam-Webster Dictionary offered some help on Twitter to anyone confused by punctuation this morning.

For those looking up punctuation early on a Friday morning:

A hyphen is a mark – used to divide or to compound words.
An apostrophe is a mark ' used to indicate the omission of letters or figures.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) September 27, 2019

Given his past usage of the word, Trump is likely being honest when he insists he meant to spell “Liddle'” (with the apostrophe) all along, rather than spelling “little” when referring to Schiff. Here’s a brief history of the president’s use of the term, ‘Liddle’:

Trump has used “Liddle” (with the apostrophe) on Twitter several times, first referring to “Liddle’ Bob Corker,” a former Republican Senator, in 2017 and then later as a nickname for Schiff from 2018 onward.

Hyphens and apostrophes aside, House Democrats have opened a formal impeachment inquiry into the Trump administration after a whistleblower complaint revealed Trump may have abused his presidential powers by seeking help from a foreign government. Schiff is currently leading that investigation.