scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.58 in modern English
57
Scrabble Score
35
Letters
8
Syllables
16
Unique Chars
Meaning
proverb
People who identify as liberals (usually rather than leftists) are not uncomfortable with fascist beliefs.
Derogatory
Example Sentences
- "Scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist, they say - this book does just that, not only with the author but with the Rt. Hon. Joe Grimond M.P. who provided the introduction to the book."
- "I have a friend in the poverty movement named Larry Carter Center. He always had this saying, "scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist." I believe he's got a valid point. The limousine liberals who *are* in a position for lending a hand-up to those struggling with deep poverty are precisely the ones who chop us off at the knees."
Etymology
Originated with the Black Panther Party. One of the variations of the proverb formula scratch (somebody) and you'll find (somebody else). Compare for example Russian поскреби русского - найдёшь татарина (poskrebi russkovo - najdjóšʹ tatarina, “scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tatar”).