What's the right word to use when Hillary Clinton says something sarcastic, snide but polite, funny yet tough, and deeply passive-aggressive? You could say she's being shady. Or fierce. Acerbic, maybe? Cutting? Salty? There are a lot of words that get the idea across. So it'll be easy for me to stop using the word "catty," as I did yesterday.

"Would you ever describe a dig by the male candidates as 'catty'? No," tweeted one person. Actually, the answer is "yes," as in the past I've almost exclusively used it to describe men who've had something snide but polite, funny yet tough, etc., to say. My intent when I used the word in reference to Hillary was the same: capture how sharp the quip was—but, hey, intent isn't everything. The word is still gendered, especially in a post about a female politician, and carries misogynist baggage. I'll be retiring it from my campaign coverage.

Now let's return our focus to political matters on which we can all agree, such as the fact that there's something deeply unsettling about how Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton eats an entire birthday cake every day.