Political Football
A "political football" is politically divisive issue, something that gets "kicked" around by both sides. The term is cited in English at least as early as 1748 and 1772 -- about…
New York City
Political Pundit (Punditry)
"Pundit" is a Sanskrit word (cited in print from the 1600s) meaning "a learned man." Modern "pundits" are experts or commentators in their fields. A "pundit"…
Political Row (East 7th Street, between Avenues C and D)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 31 March 1892, The World (New York, NY), pg. 6, col. 1:QUOTA OF POLITICAL ROW.An East-Side Street Prolific of Office Holders.It must be a very undesirable office when…
Political Row (East 7th Street, between Avenues C and D)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 31 March 1892, The World (New York, NY), pg. 6, col. 1:QUOTA OF POLITICAL ROW.An East-Side Street Prolific of Office Holders.It must be a very undesirable office when…
Political Suicide
"Political suicide" is for a politician to support an unpopular (or highly contested) political position. For example, many people said that that it would be political suicide in 2009 for…
Politics of Grievance
The "politics of grievance" means telling a political group that they've been wronged (this can be real or can play to prejudices) and that electing a particular politician will…
Politics of Personal Destruction
During Bill Clinton's successful campaign for the U.S. presidency in 1992, questions about his character began to emerge. Reports of extra-marital affairs with Gennifer Flowers and of dodging…
Politics of Respectability
The term "politics of respectability" is credited to a chapter title in Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham's book, Righteous Discontent: The women's movement in the Black Baptist…
PolitiFarce (PolitiFact nickname)
PolitiFact.com began in August 2007 as a political fact-checking service by the St. Petersburg (FL) Times. In January 2010, PolitiFact expanded to the Austin (TX) American-Statesman, and then to…
Politiho (Politico + ho/whore)
A "politico" (cited in English print since at least the 1600s) is a politician, or someone who works for a politician or holds strong political views. Politico.com (founded in 2007) is a…
Politiquera (campaign worker or vote broker)
A "politiquera" is a "campaign worker" (or "vote broker") and is a familiar figure in South Texas. The politiqueras are mostly female, and they drive people to the…
Poliwood (politics + Hollywood)
"Poliwood" or "poliwood" (politics + Hollywood) is an infrequently used term that is also the title of a 2009 documentary film about 2008's presidential race. Film…
Polterheist (poltergeist + heist)
"Polterheist" (poltergeist + heist) is a made-up word that is used in jokes. The movie Poltergeist (1982) popularized the title word. "Idea for a film: 'Polterheist' George…
Polyester of Lettuce (iceberg lettuce nickname)
Iceberg lettuce is a popular lettuce in the United States and is commonly served at restaurants, but it's mostly water and doesn't have the nutritional value or the flavor of other…
Polygummy (polygamy + gummy bear)
Gummy bears (small, fruit gum candies) have nothing to do with polygamy, but there is the joke portmanteau word "polygummy" (polygamy + gummy bear). "Polygummy Bears" was posted…
Polyjamorous (polyamorous + jam)
"I listen to every genre of music. I'm polyjamorous" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The word "polyjamorous" is a portmanteau of the words…
Ponche Navideño or Ponche de Navidad (Mexican Christmas Punch)
Texans of Mexican heritage often serve a traditional Ponche Navideño or Ponche de Navidad (Christmas Punch). The drink is usually made with tecojotes (a Mexican fruit resembling a crabapple, not…
Ponzi Scheme
A "Ponzi scheme" is the method developed by Charles Ponzi (1882-1949), using international reply coupons for postage stamps, to allegedly make money for investors. Ponzi's method was…
Ponzimonium (Ponzi scheme + pandemonium)
The word "ponzimonium" (Ponzi scheme + pandemonium) was coined by Bart Chilton, a commissioner on the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), in March 2009. Chilton…
Ponzinomics (Ponzi scheme + economics)
Ponzinomics (Ponzi scheme + economics) is an economy based on an unsustainable Ponzi scheme, such as printing fiat money and incurring large debts. The term "Ponzinomics" has been cited…