6 Essential Political Idioms in American English
Watching the news in English can be confusing. Many of my students need help to better understand the vocabulary used when Americans talk about politics. With the majority of my English and U.S. culture training clients being diplomats and international business professionals, they find it very important to be able to talk about what is going on in America and the world in English. One of the things I always recommend is to not just watch the news in English but to also take note of specific idioms. To improve your understanding of this specific type of English vocabulary, today’s post will teach you the six most common political idioms. Let’s get started:
Political Idiom 1: Lame Duck
You often hear this political idiom after an election. A lame duck is a politician or a government that doesn’t have much real power because their term in office will end soon and their successor has already been elected. We often use this idiom to refer to the US President, although it can apply to other politicians as well.
The U.S. presidential elections take place in early November, but the newly elected president doesn’t start their term until January. The outgoing (=leaving) president is considered a lame duck from election day until the new president takes office. Everyone knows they’re about to leave office, so it’s difficult for them to get much done.
Example sentence: She wanted to accomplish more during her last days in office, but she could not accomplish much as a lame duck.
Political Idiom 2: Strange Bedfellows
When English native speakers say that two people, companies, governments, or organizations etc. make strange bedfellows, they mean that they form an unusual or unexpected political alliance. Imagine two politicians who support very different political agendas working together to pass legislation, one could say:
Example sentence: Did you hear that Jane Smith and Paula McIntosh are working together on this new bill? Talk about strange bedfellows! I am super surprised they are even talking to each other
Political Idiom 3: (To Commit) Political Suicide
Committing political suicide means doing something unpopular that will likely lead to the end of a politician’s career.
Example sentence: You can think that taxes should be raised, but you can’t say that publicly. It would be political suicide!
Political Idiom 4: October Surprise
This American political idiom specifically refers to elections. So, what is an October surprise? An October surprise is any release of damaging information in the month before an election, deliberately timed in the hopes of affecting the outcome (=result) of the election.
Example sentence: Things are looking up (=looking better) now. We are leading in the polls again. Still, we always need to be prepared for an October surprise. Anything can happen in the final days before an election!
Political Idiom 5: Spin Doctor
When you spin something, you present information in a certain way to make your own ideas look good or your opponent’s ideas look bad. So, what’s a spin doctor? A spin doctor is someone whose job it is to present information to the public about a politician, a company, an organization etc. in the way that makes them look good. All US presidents have teams of spin doctors working for them.
Example sentence: The President’s press secretary is very good at spinning even failures of the administration in a way to make them look good. His press secretary is an excellent spin doctor.
Political Idiom 6: Red Tape
Have you ever been frustrated by endless paperwork when you need to do something with the government? Then you have been a victim of red tape! Red tape refers to official rules that seem more complicated than necessary and prevent things from being done quickly and efficiently.
Example sentence: Applying for a building permit involves a lot of red tape. To cut through red tape quickly a lawyer can help so that you won’t get caught up in too much red tape.
