like turkeys voting for christmas
/laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ ˈkɹɪsməs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.21 in modern English
54
Scrabble Score
29
Letters
4
Syllables
18
Unique Chars
Meaning
phrase
Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action.
British usage; Humorous
Example Sentences
- "The next morning [14 December 1977] the Liberals held a two-and-a-half meeting at which Steel let them have their head. Only two MPs, Howells and Johnston, said they were willing to continue the Pact. The opponents were delighted. […] ‘Us voting for the Pact is like a turkey voting for Christmas’, said David Penhaligon"
- "The minority parties have walked into a trap. If they win, there will be a general election. I am told that the current joke going around the House is that it is the first time in recorded history that turkeys have been known to vote for an early Christmas."
- "Many of the responses to proposals, particularly regarding deregulation, were unsupported: it would have been like turkeys voting for Christmas in some respects."
- "Bear in mind, however, that for some purchasing people, deciding to use an agent is a little like turkeys voting for Christmas."
- "The anti-divorce rallying cry of Fine Gael’s Alice Glenn, ‘Women voting for divorce is like turkeys voting for Christmas’, captured the sense of fear felt by many at the economic consequences of divorce for women."
Etymology
Because turkeys are commonly eaten at Christmas, turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas would be hastening their own death. The phrase is thought to have been coined by the British Liberal Party politician David Penhaligon (1944–1986) who used it to express opposition to the 1977 Lib–Lab pact. It was popularized by the British Prime Minister James Callaghan (1912–2005) who used it in the House of Commons in March 1979 when his Labour Party lost a vote of no confidence: see the 1977 and 1979 quotations.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ ˈkɹɪsməs/
- British English: /laɪk ˌtɜːkiz ˈvəʊtɪŋ fə ˈkɹɪsməs/