Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kinsley gaffe

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables: kins-ley -gaffe
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mistake whereby a politician inadvertently says something truthful which they had not meant to reveal.

American usage

Example Sentences

"They said it had been only a trial run, posted in error, showing hypothetical results from one small electoral district. You might call this a sort of Kinsley gaffe on a national scale."
"Give Thune credit for candor, or at least for a Kinsley gaffe: Intentionally or not, he made clear that the game was getting the best available walk-back and moving on."

Etymology

Named after American journalist Michael Kinsley (b. 1951), who drew attention to the phenomenon.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

Kinsley gaffes (plural)

Questions

What does kinsley gaffe mean?: A mistake whereby a politician inadvertently says something truthful which they had not meant to reveal.
Where does kinsley gaffe come from?: Named after American journalist Michael Kinsley (b. 1951), who drew attention to the phenomenon.

How to pronounce kinsley gaffe

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