Still, I don't want Python to try to be Cobol.
I agree, I don't want Python to try and be Cobol, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to learn from Cobol regarding this, if this indeed something found there - I can't comment on that.
I think the intellectual argument for "English syntax" failed, notwithstanding installed base.
I see this argument used for python in this list (and in the wild) a lot i.e. that it should be readable in English. I am not saying that this is the be-all-end-all of python but it does matter. Also, this being syntax for defining OO curried functions, achieves the goal of more English like syntax while introducing a standard for curried functions in Python - which are of a lot of value in many situations, but usually require nasty syntax.