European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Renovating the House restoring the Way we speak William Safire on language i was having trouble with a Leaky Copper Gutter and the beams in the basement looked Bent out of shape so i called Martha Stewart. This author of cookbooks and guides to weddings and other entertainments has a new Book out a new old House a dealing with restoration and renovation. Actually not gutters but leaders Are my problem during Washington a interregnum the synonymy of renewal was bothering me. She writes in the Book after consulting the random House dictionary Quot it is my understanding that a restoration is a pure Linc for line replication of a space or object As nearly As possible to its original state. A renovation is a rebuilding of a space or object with less attention paid to authenticity than to making it new  i wanted to hear a less formal differentiation from her own lips. A a restoration is putting things Back the Way they were a Martha Stewart said. A a it a making a House like a museum the Way it was when first built a taking new paint off old panelling Takiff it Back in time. A renovation is making something new again a putting in bathrooms knocking out Walls making an old House More liable for  and what about rehabilitation remodelling and re furbish Menf a a you re going to have to work those out for yourself a she said invitingly. So what is Martha doing to her House in East Hampton l.i.? Quot in a renovating the inside and restoring the outside Quot she said Quot while working on a new Book about Home  Home keeping a a it a not just housekeeping once your House becomes your Home you have More at  it takes a Heap of living to make a housekeeper a Home keeper a a a a a in a not going tote buffaloes into appointing Independent counsels Quot declared attorney general William Barr derided As the cover up general by the Ira Gate implacable a by political clamor and by the views of editorial  in the same week the colourful americanism found its Way into a Newsweek subhead a a done to get buffaloes a was its advice to president elect Clinton who had made a Concession to the Senate majority Leader George Mitchell. That was followed by Quot head better Wise up or hell get steamrolled  the More familiar Slang term is steamroll Ere perhaps the writer wanted to play on being a rolled a taken advantage of As Well As being flattened by being run Over by a steamroller the meaning of to be buffaloes is a to be overawed intimidated or  do not confuse it with bulldozed which Means a pushed aside roughly and is synonymous with steamroll ered. The origin of buffaloes May be in a to be cowed a or frightened into submission Buffalo has Long been used for a cow without horns As Well As for the Bison. The dictionary of american regional English cites an 1896 dialect notes entry a a Buffalo to confuse  a in 1929, american speech reported a when a cow becomes confused it is buffaloes a that is no longer the common usage nor is the verb used in the Active voice. In current use to be buffaloes is to be daunted spooked unnerved. It is Nice to see this Fine old bit of folklore on the Rise in Washington where the skies Are no longer Cloudy All  a a a i want to put a fist Halfway Down their throats with this a an irate Bill Clinton was quoted As saying by Mark Miller in Newsweek adding a i want their Teeth on the  in a recent column i noted the Richness and unexpected Power of this dialect use by the president to be and wondered if the reporter was on the scene when the words were spoken. Turns out he was right there. Miller called to say he heard the expressions with his own ears and made contemporaneous notes. Thus is history served few other statements by the campaigning Clinton will be noted As lip a mockingly by historians. Miller says a the figures of speech Are not an affectation a he really talks that Way he a comfortable with Arkansas Slang. When i once beat governor Clinton at hearts a a rare thing for me a i got him to sign the score Sheet and he wrote a even a Blind hog can find an  a razorback Ese is in. Tho new York times Britain a Royal pain in the toe Tony Kornheiser you think you be had an a Yannus Hor Ribi Lis a Bunky get a Load of the House of Windsor. Talk about your Basic dysfunctional family. Four kids. The youngest son gets the Best press by Windsor Ian standards which Means that he merely needs to spend every second tuesday denying in print that he is a woman. The next son dated porno stars then settled Down and married respectably or so it seemed until his wife was recently photographed topless in the South of France with her toes being sucked by a Bald texan who was referred to As her quote financial adviser. As in of baby smother my throbbing orbs with some of that fiduciary responsibility. Hie daughter just married again a couple of weeks ago a this time to her  an Querry apparently is a Bellhop with a private school education. He carries Luggage lie answers the phone. An Querry is to the brits what a Gardener is to . Put it this was if Princess Anne lived in Beverly Hills the new Duke of Gloucestershire would be sir Juan. You w ant to know How the wedding went Well they had to go to Scotland to do it because the Church of England  Sanction it. And the Bride s Mother runs the Church of England americans Best loved feature writer or. Henry predicted Anne and her Houseboy would get married in a 24-hour Chapel in Reno by some minister who wears sunglasses. And the eldest son whose Hobby is holding Long detailed dialogues with geraniums has just split from the country a no. 1 fave babe having thrown her Over for a dumpy Hausfrau who looks like secretariat. I did no to want to hear news of the Royal breakup from John major. The Guy does no to even have lips. Id much have preferred hearing it from Michael Caine. A yeah Well you know now it goes. A couple a swell kids but us a bloody shame. So the Princess a Ell of a Bird done Tyr think she Suh going to live on a Crown and us ill be dating a or  a i know the tendency is to blame Charles because Well Diana started out As such a Cupcake Del Mondo though recently you a have to admit she has lost about a Yard off her heat Rand Charles has been acting like a Pinhead Ever since he got on this architecture kick. I mean knocking Down All the new buildings. The new ones the ones with elevators and air conditioning the Only buildings he likes Are ones built before 1800, with cornices and flying buttresses and grinning gargoyles that look like his mum. The other ones he a out there with the wrecking Ball at 6 a.m., and just before the Ball hits he yells a a a own Alio its just me Charles saving the  but what about Diana a culpability i mean a squidgy Quot indeed How does she throw Over the next King of England a even if he is a bit around the Bend a for some Young Punk slime Ball Aston Martin Salesman she does no to think Charles can buy her a hot car the Buzz is that Diana got the belter Palace Deal by far. Charles Palace is Way out in the country he a going to have to stay in a hotel when he comes to London a or stay with that Laff riot Mother of his. Diana a Palace is Primo. Someone who just came Back from London gushed when talking about it. Quot its got a positively huge front Lawn. Its in a great neighbourhood dose to shopping and Public transportation a she said like Diana s going to be taking the tube anytime soon. So now w hat will they take out personal ads his Sam. 44.  stiff Geek. What me worry hers Syf with two sons. 31. No longer suicidal. Charles and i before the fall. Your Palace or mine this whole new arrangement is Likely to produce separate romances and just possibly a return to the medieval Days of the official Royal line of illegitimate offspring who carried this embarrassing yet quasi respectable designation throughout their lives. A presenting the honorable lady Consuela plinth Waite of lower Escutcheon and her Consort Jerry the  i bet for discretionary reasons Diana will have to leave Britain to Date i mean she can hardly tramp Down to covent Garden and pick up longshoremen. And its not enough to be a tall Willowy pouty blonde these Days. Look what happened to Deborah Norville no Diana will need a gimmick. She could a get the words a a la in Devil tattooed on her shoulder. B Wear the Crown jewels to the Safeway. C go on Oprah. A women who were once in love with men who were next in line to become the King of England and who no longer have an eating  by comparison Charles is going to have it easy. He a going to be King of England. He a the one Man on Earth who when a woman makes some outrageous claim to him can actually say a yeah sure you re just Here on the Corner a waiting for a Friend a and in a the King of  creators Syndicate Page 24 a san Day december 20, 1992