Pole Tax (homophone of “poll tax”)
"Pole tax" sounds like "poll tax," but it's quite different. A "poll tax" is a tax affixed per person that has often (in the 19th century) been linked with the…
Texas (Lone Star State Dictionary)
Pole Tax (homophone of “poll tax”)
"Tits for tots" (a pun on "tit-for-tat") was the nickname pf a proposed 2004 Texas strip club tax that would, supposedly, have raised revenue for the education of Texas…
Polidiot (politics + idiot)
A "polidiot" (politics + idiot) can mean a politician who's an idiot or a member of the general public (such as a voter) who's an idiot. The term "polidiot" has been…
Poligarchy (political + oligarchy); Poligarch
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: OligarchyOligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning 'few', and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning 'to…
Poligion (politics + religion)
"Poligion" (politics + religion) is when religion and politics combine. The word "poligion" has been cited in print since at least 2001. The similar (but somewhat awkward) word…
Polish Tea Room (Cafe Edison at Hotel Edison)
The Edison Hotel is located at 228 West 47th Street, in the heart of the theatre district. The Cafe Edison is joking referred to as the "Polish Tea Room," after the more famous Russian…
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…
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…