Roads, Rates and Rubbish (local government concerns)
"Roads, rates and rubbish" (also "rates, roads and rubbish") are commonly said to be the three top concerns of local government. The saying is mostly restricted to Australia and…
Robe-itis
"Robe-itis" (or "black robe-itis") is an affliction suffered by some robed judges. A person can put on a robe and assume a god-like attitude and power, forgetting that he or she…
Robot or -bot (Obamabot or O-bot; Paulbot)
The suffix "-bot" (for"robot") is often added after a politician's name to show deluded, robot-like followers. For the 2007-2008 U.S. presidential campaign, followers of…
Rockefailure (Rockefeller family + failure)
The Rockefeller family is an American industrial, political, and banking family. Some have nicknamed the Rockefeller family as "Rockefailure" (Rockefeller + failure). "PROFILE/John…
Rockefeller Republican
The political term "Rockefeller Republican" takes its name from Nelson Rockefeller (1908-1979), the Republican governor of New York from 1959 to 1973, who then became vice president of…
Rockefinger or Rockefeller Salute (Nelson Rockefeller’s middle finger gesture)
"Rockefinger," "Rockefeller salute" and "Rockefeller gesture" are names for the middle finger protruding from a clenched fist -- also called "the finger,"…
Rome on the Potomac (Washington, DC nickname)
Washington, District of Columbia, is located on the Potomac River. Washington is infrequently nicknamed "Rome on the Potomac," after Rome, Italy, and its ancient empire. In the late…
Ronaldus Magnus or Ronaldus Maximus (Ronald Reagan’s presidential years)
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989). Many conservatives look back on Reagan's presidency as a halcyon time for conservatism. Conservative radio…
Rose Garden Strategy
The White House Rose Garden borders the Oval Office and the West Wing. The term "Rose Garden strategy" (or "Rose Garden campaign") was popularized in September 1976, when…
Rottenschild or Rottenchild (rotten + Rothschild family)
The Rothschild family has been involved in international banking and finance for over 300 years. The Rothschild family has been nicknamed "Rottenchild" or "Rottenschild" (rotten…
Run, Death Is Near (Remdesivir nickname)
Remdesivir is a product by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences that was approved in November 2020, during the COIVD-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, for the treatment of COVID-19. Many critics…
Sabre-rattling
"Sabre-rattling" (also spelled "saber-rattling") is when a person or a government threatens to use force against another, just as a soldier rattles a sabre against an enemy.…
Safe Six or #SafeSix (six feet apart social distancing)
"Safe Six" or "#SafeSix" (six feet apart social distancing) is a pun on "safe sex." The term became popular during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. "Practice…
Salami Tactics
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Salami tacticsSalami tactics, also known as the salami-slice strategy, is a divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition.…
Sanctuary City
A "sanctuary city" in the United States is one where the city protects illegal immigrants from certain practices, such as asking about a person's legal status. The term…
Satan Sandwich
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) called a July 2011 budget deal that he didn't like “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich.” There had been infrequent previous printed citations for "Satan…
Sawdust Trail (Sawdust Circuit)
The "sawdust trail" (or "sawdust circuit") refers to the churches that preachers traveled to in the early 1900s. The trail to these tabernacles was usually covered with sawdust,…
Sayre’s Law: Mayors of NY come from nowhere and go nowhere
Rudy Giuliani is going to hate me for this one, but I didn't make it up. Autumn 1977, PS, vol. 10, no. 4, pg. 511:Perhaps this is the time to record publicly two more of Wallace Sayre's…
Scalpel vs. Machete (budget-cutting techniques)
There are two metaphorical tools that politicians claim to use in cutting a budget -- a scalpel (for small, surgical cuts, causing the least harm) and a machete (for massive cuts). Unless the…
Scamdemic (scam + pandemic)
"Scamdemic" (scam + pandemic) means a fake pandemic. The term was first used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. "Wondering if #swineflu is really a pandemic, or is it a hamdemic or…