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.…
Sammy Scheme (Uncle Sam + Ponzi Scheme)
Financial manager and Pacific Investment Management (PIMCO) co-founder William H. Gross coined the name "Sammy scheme" ("Uncle Sam" + Ponzi scheme) in PIMCO's November 2010…
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…
Scampaign (scam + campaign)
A "scampaign" (scam + campaign) is a campaign -- a political campaign or a campaign for a specific cause or business -- that contains fraud and can be called a "scam."…
Scandalpalooza (scandal + lollapalooza)
"Scandalpalooza" (scandal + lollapalooza) is when a government has several scandals (sometimes called "-gates," after the Watergate scandal). The word "scandalpalooza"…
Scaredemic (scare + pandemic)
"Scaredemic" (scare + pandemic) became a popular term during the 2020 COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, but it had appeared earlier. "Homespun Craft Show tomorrow, the Scaredemic will…
Scariant (scare/scary + variant)
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic had variants, called by some as "scariant" (scare/scary + variant). "So many variants of scary. Scariants" was posted on Twitter by Cal…