Tag archives: US elections

Could -boat be the new -gate?

Word in the news: Romney-boated On New Year’s Day this year, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, expressing frustration at negative ads being run by pro-Romney groups, said “I feel Romney-boated”, coining a phrase and – just maybe – launching a new combining form. Gingrich’s neologism uses the second element in swift-boating, a term which dates [...]

Posted on: January 4 2012 | Posted by: | Comments: 3 | Categories: Word trends and new words | Tags: , , , , ,

What is a caucus, anyway?

On January 3, America’s quadrennial race for the White House begins in earnest with the Iowa caucuses. If you find yourself wondering precisely what a caucus is, you’re not alone. The Byzantine process by which the US political parties choose their presidential nominees has a jargon all its own. Below is a brief guide to [...]

Posted on: January 3 2012 | Posted by: | Comments: 8 | Categories: English in use | Tags: , , , , ,