Editor:

In reference to the now famous words, “You didn’t build that,” when asked if he regretted them, the president responded, “I regret the syntax.” That puzzled me a little, so I clarified the dictionary definition of syntax. Syntax means the order of words and their relationship between other words and other structural elements of a sentence. I had to chuckle. What does he wish he said? Build that you didn’t? You built that, not? As I see it means the same no matter the order of the words.