The "tax-and-spend" slogan stuck to Harry Hopkins like a well-fitted suit.
Conservative terms, with conservative insights, originate at a faster rate and with higher quality than liberal terms do. Thus conservative triumph over liberalism is inevitable.
The English language develops about 1,000 new words annually. The King James Version of the Bible contains about 8,000 different words;[1] many strong new words -- akin to prime numbers -- have developed since. You can benefit from these.
Powerful new conservative terms have grown at a geometric rate, roughly doubling every century. For each new conservative term originating in the 1600s,[2] there are two new terms originating in the 1700s, four new terms in the 1800s, and eight new terms in the 1900s, for a pattern of "1-2-4-8". This indicates the future will be increasingly conservative.
| Century | # New Conservative Terms |
|---|---|
| 1600s | 41 (beginning in 1611) |
| 1700s | 86 |
| 1800s | 177 |
| 1900s | 357 |
| 2000s | 71 (preliminary) |
Conservative words and terms
| New Term | Origin date | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| a.m. | 1762 | "a.m." means "before noon" in Latin (ante meridiem); it became popular much as "A.D." did. Also, a morning work ethic is a conservative concept. |
| abortuary | 1983 | an abortion clinic, which in reality is a mortuary for unborn children |
| abstract nonsense | 1940s | a pejorative term for unnecessarily abstract mathematics of doubtful rigor; liberal denial insists that this term, which describes something as "nonsense", is somehow not negative! |
| accountability | 1794 | the willingness or obligation to be held responsible for one's actions - a fundamental conservative ideal, unlike liberals who believe that "society", and not individuals, is responsible for their wrongdoing. |
| accuracy | 1660 | conservatives strive for accuracy, while many liberals are masters of deceit |
| Achilles' heel | 1864 | an inevitable weak point of vulnerability amid overall strength, highlighting the need for God even by the strongest |
| act of God | 1787[3][4] | an extraordinary, unforeseeable event, such as a massive flood or earthquake; term was probably inspired as a reference to the Great Flood |
| action-at-a-distance | 1693 | Newton's acceptance of this concept—which became fundamental to electrostatics and quantum mechanics and has a basis in Christianity[5]—was central to the development of his theory of gravity.[6] Materialists censor this concept, while Einstein criticized it as "spooky". |
| activism | 1915 | this differentiates conservatives from inactive people; this term might have originated in connection with Prohibition and efforts to pass the Eighteenth Amendment |
| addictive | 1939 | the intrinsic characteristic of certain things or activities to induce repetitious involvement, usually with a harmful effect on the participant, as in gambling, or video games. |
| administrative state | 1948[7] | originally used in a descriptive manner by admirers of it, the term is frequently used in a pejorative manner by conservatives due to the lack of accountability of an overbearing bureaucracy. |
| aerobics | 1967 | invented by the Christian Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper[8] to describe his self-help program to improve health; he gave the title "Aerobics" to his ground-breaking book in 1968, and eventually it revolutionized attitudes toward exercise. |
| agency capture | 1985[9] | the misuse of Big Government (agencies) by Big Business to choke off free enterprise through regulations that impede competition |
| agflation | 2008 | an increase in the particular costs to farmers (agriculture), often due to the War on farmers such that the cost increase exceeds the increase in the price levels of their goods sold as measured by inflation |
| agitprop | 1929 | propaganda designed to incite agitation, originally coined to describe communist propaganda |
| alarmism | 1867 | needless warnings, as in the politically motivated claims of global warming |
| alcoholism | 1860 | excessive or addictive drinking of alcohol |
| algorithm | 1849 | an efficient and consistent step-by-step methodology for achieving a goal, the opposite of liberal style |
| altar call | 1899 | an invitation by a preacher for people to come forward to the altar to signify their personal commitment to Christ, and many do |
| altruism | 1853 | selfless assistance of others; this also occurs in the animal kingdom, and is a counterexample to evolution |
| ambulance chaser | 1896 | a lawyer who searches for victims to persuade them to sue for his profit |
| American dream | 1911[10] | the vision that, with hard work, anyone in America can attain happiness and prosperity |
| American exceptionalism | 1835 | the idea that the United States and the American people hold a special place in the world, by offering opportunity and hope for humanity |
| American Way | 1930s | later conservative entrepreneurs used this to coin a new name for what became a highly successful and uniquely American business model: "Amway" |
| anti-Christian | 1900s | opposing Christian ideals and institutions |
| anticompetitive | 1854 | interfering with open competition and the enormous benefits that flow from it |
| anti-constitutionalist | 2019 | a description of the elected leaders who had taken over the Democratic party in the early decades of the 21st century |
| anti-endorsement | 2022 | coined by conservative Kari Lake in her candidacy for Arizona governor to describe the helpful effect of Trump-hater Liz Cheney running ads against her |
| antilife | 1929 | term criticizing a tendency to oppose life and lifesaving care |
| antitrust | 1890 | the origin is the passage of the Republican-sponsored Sherman Act to prohibit restraints of trade, one of the greatest pieces of legislation in all of history |
| apathetic | 1744 | term critical of those who are deliberately inactive and disengaged mentally |
| apologetic | 1649 | offered in support or defense, especially of Christianity (typically used today as the noun "apologetics"). |
| apology tour | 2009 | the term is used to criticize someone who repeatedly apologizes for a country or institution that does a great deal of good; this term became popular to criticize the newly elected Barack Obama for going on a foreign tour to bash the United States, which was misleading and broke a tradition of presidents not doing that. |
| Apostles' Creed | 1658 | a concise statement of Christian faith that began with the original Apostles and has guided billions since. (The earliest historical evidence of the creed's existence is in a letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 A.D.[11]) |
| apparatchik | 1941 | an official who blindly does what he thinks his government superiors want, as in communism |
| apple pie | 1780 | honesty, simplicity, wholesomeness. Relating to, or characterized by traditional American values.[12] |
| arm-twisting | 1945 | behind-the-scenes pressure tactics used in politics, primarily by liberals, in order to compel people to vote and act in ways they would not do otherwise |
| assimilate | 1880s[13] | the desired absorption of immigrant groups into the culture and mores of the resident population |
| atheistic | 1625-35 | An adjective pertaining to or characteristic of atheists or atheism; containing, suggesting, or disseminating atheism. |
| attention span | 1934 | correlated with intelligence, the attention span is how long someone can concentrate on something. It is rapidly shortening; the Lincoln-Douglas debates 150 years ago lasted for hours, but none do today.[14] The average length of sentences in speech is another indication of attention span, and it has been shortening significantly. |
| Austrian economics | 1900s[15] | an approach to economics that emphasizes the purposeful decisions of individuals, and which was belatedly recognized by a 1974 Nobel Prize to Friedrich von Hayek; these economic ideas influenced Ludwig von Mises, Ron Paul, and 1987 Nobel Laureate James M. Buchanan. |
| axiomatic | 1797 | self-evident (first usage), and later it developed the meaning of being based on a set of axioms |
| baby boom | 1920[16] | an increase in birthrate, which is a good thing; note that what is known as the post-World War II baby boom actually started before the war, contrary to what textbooks teach. Perpetuating the mistake, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the generation born between 1946 and 1964 as the baby boomers.[17] |
| back burner | 1963 | inactive status away from attention, as in "RINOs try to put social issues on the back burner" |
| bag lady | 1979 | a woman, typically unmarried, whose life tragically degenerated into a homeless existence of wandering in a city while carrying bags of worthless possessions |
| bailout | 1951 | wasting taxpayer money to rescue, temporarily, a failing company |
| bake sale | 1903[18] | the activity of volunteers, typically women, baking good food and selling it to raise money for a worthy cause |
| balkanize | 1919 | to break a region or neighborhood into divisive components; the opposite of the American concept of assimilation or "E pluribus unum" |
| bargain hunter | 1911 | a conservative trait that helps keep inflation low. The first usage in courts occurred when the Minnesota Supreme Court struck down a regulation and explained that the improper regulation was too broad and not limited to protection against schemes that deceive a "veteran bargain hunter." Kanne v. Segerstrom Piano Mfg. Co., 118 Minn. 483, 487, 137 N.W. 170, 171 (1912). |
| baseball | 1815 | an American original that is governed by rules rather than a clock; the stars and fans are overwhelmingly conservative |
| bedrock | 1840-1850 | an American term for unbroken solid rock underneath fragments or soil, which adopted the figurative meaning of strong values: "bedrock principles"[19] |
| beltway mentality | 1986 | popularized by Paul Weyrich though possibly first used by then-Governor John Sununu ("captives of yourselves"), it refers to a governing style that sees only as far as the highway that surrounds its capital, especially the one around D.C. |
| benchmark | 1842 | a quality standard for which people can strive |
| Best of the Public | 2009 | A term coined by Andy Schlafly to express the idea that one does not need liberal credentials that so-called "experts" have. Indeed, many great historical figures would have failed the liberal "expert" test. |
| biased | 1649 | to show prejudice for or against something; American society is rapidly becoming biased against Christian and Conservative beliefs |
| Bible Belt | 1925 | southern regions of the United States where people read the Bible and attend church, rather than try to avoid both as in the liberal Northeast and West Coast |
| Biblophobic | 2012[20] | hatred or fear of the Bible |
| Bidenflation | 2022 | an extremely harmful type of inflation and agflation that erodes the value of savings and wages without any way to safeguard against it, as even gold loses its value. |
| Bidenism | 1992 | an idiotic remark that would subject the politician to enormous ridicule if he were a conservative, but when spoken by liberal Joe Biden the media are just fine with it |
| Big arrow offensive | 2022 | refers to old-fashioned massed military formations and offensives prior to the advent of modern intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. |
| Big Brother | 1949 | government constantly watching its citizens; George Orwell first coined this term in his classic, 1984 |
| Big Weed | 2002 | a sarcastic term to describe the selfish cannabis business interests, which inflict many harms in their quest for profits. |
| bigly | 2016 | in a big or impressive way; "we are going to expand opportunities for Americans bigly."[21] |
| Bilderbergers | 1964[22] | a secret political society that was first exposed in A Choice Not an Echo; the society consists of elite globalists who have met annually since 1954 to try to exert influence over the world |
| biological clock | 1955 | how each woman begins to lose her ability to have children at age 27, no matter how much feminists try to conceal this scientific fact from women |
| Blame America Crowd[23] | 1984 | Michael Barone quoted Jeane Kirkpatrick as saying that the "San Francisco Democrats" (site of the Democratic National Convention in 1984) "always blame America first."[24] |
| blank check | 1884 | irresponsibly giving someone unlimited spending authority or power, as in "a Con Con would be a blank check to destroy the nation" |
| blather | 1719 | nonsensical or insignificant babble, as in "liberal blather is common in the lamestream media" |
| blue curtain | 2016 | Michigan and Pennsylvania, which for nearly 30 years were "safe" Democratic states in presidential elections totaling a whopping 36 electoral college votes in 2016, but won by Donald Trump in a massive upset aided by their lack of early voting that is manipulated by Democrats in other states. |
| Blue Dog Democrat | 1995 | a person who adheres to conservative principles within the Democratic party, once called a Boll Weevil; as of 2009 there are 45-50 Blue Dog Democrats in the House of Representatives, which is enough to form a majority with Republicans |
| bona fides | 1910[25] | evidence or confirmation of someone's good faith or authenticity |
| boomerang | 1825 | originally coined to describe a throwing device that returns to the thrower, the term became increasingly useful to describe how wrongful conduct returns to bite the perpetrator |
| boondoggle | 1935 | "popularized during the New Deal as a contemptuous word for make-work projects for the unemployed." [26] The term gained popularity in Canada following a corruption scandal tied to the Liberal government in 2000. |
| boots on the ground | 2003 | political campaign workers who do the real work needed to win elections, such as going door-to-door to meet voters and helping boost voter turnout with personal efforts, rather than merely placing ads or sitting in a television studio; its earlier military usage means ground troops in battle rather than merely missiles or flyovers |
| bootstrap | 1913 | unaided effort, personal merit, hard work |
| bork | 1988 | coined by William Safire to refer to how Democrats savage a conservative nominee, such as their defeat of Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork. |
| born-again | 1861 | it takes an open mind and heart; this term's origin can be traced to John Wyclif's 1382 translation of the Bible: "But a man schal be born agen." |
| borrowed time | 1898 | a bit more time in life than one has earned, which is best spent by accepting the truth of the Bible |
| bottom line | 1967 | the essential point, without the liberal claptrap[27] |
| brainstorm | 1894 | a burst of productive thought |
| brainwashing | 1950 | derived from the Chinese term "xǐnǎo" soon after the communist takeover of China, "brainwashing" means forced abandonment of faith in favor of regimented atheism. In a more general sense, it refers to the manipulation and control of the human mind through torture and propaganda techniques. |
| Brexit | 2016 | the slogan for the successful campaign in the United Kingdom to leave the EU, it has since been copied to describe movements in additional countries to reject globalism, such as "Frexit." |
| bright-line rule | 1971[28] | a clear, unwavering line dividing what is allowed from what is prohibited; increasingly favored to avoid confusion and requirements that arbitrarily change. Championed by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. |
| bromide | 1836[29] | hackneyed, unoriginal statement lacking in substance, similar to liberal claptrap |
| brinkmanship | 1956 | the art of displaying a willingness to use military force in order to obtain a just resolution to a conflict between nations |
| bubble | 1720 | an inflated financial market which ultimately collapses, as first used in reference to the South Sea Bubble.[30] |
| bureaucracy | 1818 | |
| busywork | 1910 | meaningless activity under the pretense of accomplishing something |
| buycott | 2009[31] | buying from companies and countries based on principles; the opposite of a boycott |
| cabin fever | 1900 | a mental and emotional reaction to a confinement on freedom of mobility as though imprisoned in a cabin |
| can-do | 1903 [32] | Phrase coined in a short story by Rudyard Kipling that has come to refer to an attitude that espouses individual ability and responsibility and not reliance on entitlements |
| Cantorize | 2014[33] | to be removed from a high political position by a vote in one's own primary |
| capitalism | 1850-1855 | creating jobs and wealth based on a private invention, ownership and investments rather than state-controlled resources |
| card-carrying | 1950s | popularized by Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-WI) to describe senselessly dedicated communists; later used to great effect by George H.W. Bush to successfully criticize his opponent as a self-described card-carrying member of the ACLU. |
| career politician | 1974[34] | a term originally used for the entrenched communist government officials in Yugoslavia, with whom even President Tito was fed up; today it applies to the thousands of self-serving politicians who avoid productive jobs |
| carpetbagger | 1868 | a politician who moves to a new area to be elected to a government position, as in Hillary Clinton moving to New York to become a U.S. Senator |
| carte blanche | 1645-1655 | unconditional authority or power, without any limits on misuse of that power |
| cash discount | 1917 | a reduction in price for payment by cash, in recognition of how cash is more efficient |
| catharsis | 1775 | facilitating forgiveness and spiritual renewal by expression, as in writing or teaching or confession |
| caucus | 1763 | citizens or representatives gathering to meet and reach political decisions as a group while harnessing aspects of the best of the public; first coined by John Adams[35] when he described a meeting of political Boston elders as a "caucus club"; the word may be from an Algonquian term for a group of advisers or elders. |
| cesspool | 1782 | an evil or corrupt place or state. |
| chairwarmer | 1987[36] | someone who is useless and ineffective while holding a position, as in "Biden would at most be a chairwarmer of a president" |
| chaos agent | 1960s | sow confusion and start fights, among the side one is supposedly on; the origin of the term was the Get Smart television comedy about the Cold War[37] |
| chaperone | 1720 | care and well-being of youths overseen by adults |
| charisma | 1930 | literally "a gift from God", charisma is a personal magic of leadership found in conservative public figures (but beware of the liberal tendency to put style before substance!) |
| checkmate | 1789[38] | a verb from the conservative game of chess which is widely used in many contexts today |
| Chicken Little | 1895 | one who falsely predicts disaster, especially for silly reasons: "global alarmists" are the Chicken Littles of our time[39] |
| Chinese wall | 1900 | a beneficial, impregnable wall that safeguards against wrongdoing |
| choice, not an echo | 1964[40] | a pithy slogan that objects to politics-as-usual as controlled by insiders regardless of which political party wins |
| Christmas card | 1883 | another conservative innovation that apparently did not exist earlier, even though mail did; cards that say "Seasons Greetings" are a cheap imitation now. |
| Christmas tree | 1835 | the immensely popular custom of using an evergreen tree to support ornaments, cards and gifts, and symbolize life impervious to the darkness and cold of winter |
| chump change | 1968 | a term that highlights the insignificance of an amount of money; used especially against a miser or someone who makes the mistake of thinking money is more important than Christ |
| churchgoer | 1687 | a person who makes an effort, during the 168 hours in a week, to attend a church service |
| circle the wagons | 1800s | regroup with family and friends, when under attack. usage from settlers in the old US west. |
| citizen's arrest | 1941 | private enforcement of the law without the need of a taxpayer-funded police officer |
| citogenesis | 2011 | the genesis of false factual assertions by circular citations originating from a fallacious source, such as Wikipedia; the term was first coined by Randall Munroe in his comic xkcd |
| civil defense | 1939 | civilians protecting themselves and their community against attack or natural disasters |
| claptrap | 1799 | pretentious, verbose, and often liberal nonsense; example usage: "the professor wasted the rest of the class on his liberal claptrap" |
| class act | 1976 | exemplify conservative principles with values, integrity and a work ethic |
| class warfare | 1848 | this concept was initially coined by Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto, but it has become so discredited that it is now used mostly by conservatives to point out liberal demagoguery |
| closed shop | 1904 | a business that requires membership in a union as a condition of working there; 22 conservative states prohibit this |
| clueless | 1943 | hopelessly ignorant about something important, as liberals often are |
| Coasean | 1980s | an efficient result or bargain based on market forces without the distortions caused by transaction costs |
| coattails | 1848[41] | the lifting of a weaker political candidate by a stronger one who is on the same ballot, as in Pat Toomey winning reelection for the Senate based on Trump's coattails in 2016; this term was popularized by a speech by Abraham Lincoln on the House floor |
| cogent | 1659 | compelling with the powerful force of reason, the opposite of liberal claptrap |
| cognizable | 1662 | capable of being known, or properly adjudicated in a court of law |
| cold turkey | 1921 | a slang term for doing something all at once, as in defeating an addiction by completely turning away from it, often by using power of the Bible and Christ |
| Cold War | 1945 | coined by George Orwell shortly after he wrote Animal Farm,[42] as recognition that communist nations were at war with American freedom even in the absence of actual military conflict |
| collectivism | 1857 | when decision-making by a group takes priority over the good ideas of an individual, often preventing progress |
| Columbian | 1757 | relating to Christopher Columbus or the United States |
| commie | 1930s | abbreviation for "communist" that captures their simple-minded totalitarianism |
| commie symp | 1930s | pejorative term for "Communist sympathizer" or non-card-carrying member, such as "fellow travellers" and members of the Popular Front. |
| common sense | 1726 | sound judgment based on facts |
| competitive | 1829 | |
| Con Con | 1980s | popularized by Phyllis Schlafly to highlight the deception and risks inherent in proposed national constitutional conventions |
| conniption | 1833 | hysteria or alarm, as in "having a conniption fit"; a typical response by liberals when confronted with their double standards and illogical positions |
| conservation of charge | 1949 | overall charge does not change in an isolated system; it is neither created nor destroyed; the concept was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin but the date of origin for this term is surprisingly recent |
| conservative | 1808[43] | principles of limited government, personal responsibility, moral values, and productivity |
| conservative field | 1870s? | a type of physical force over a region such that items moving throughout the region can store energy without loss, as in the planetary system and electrical products[44] |
| consumer surplus | 1890[45] | the extra benefit received by consumers above the price they paid for a good or service, illustrating the value of the free market; specifically, consumer surplus is the difference between what consumers would have paid for something, and the lower price they did pay. |
| constant | 1832 | (noun) something unchanging in value |
| constitutionality | 1787 | its date of origin is the year of the Constitutional Convention that proposed the U.S. Constitution |
| contrarian | 1657 | someone who advocates views contrary to that of others; this type of person frustrates liberal attempts to gain control |
| cooking the data | 1830 | Charles Babbage used it in his book, "Reflections on the Decline of Science in England."[46] |
| copacetic | 1890s[47] | Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, tap dancer extraordinaire, claimed the invention of this word; it was first popularized by African Americans |
| cop-out | 1942 | taking the easy way out, usually by shirking one's responsibilities |
| copyright | 1735 | extending private property to protect expressive works |
| corporate socialism | 1970s | the tendency of large corporations to act in a socialistic manner, at the expense of meritocracy and productivity |
| correlate | 1742 | (verb) to show that one thing relates to another, such as atheism or homosexuality and selfishness or lack of charity; liberals falsely rely on anecdotes to deny the general relationship |
| countability | 1874 | Georg Cantor, loathed by the leading contemporary mathematicians, developed this in proving that the real numbers are uncountable |
| counterexample | 1957 | an example that is contrary to the proposition. A common point in logical, reasoned debate. |
| counterfactual | 1946 | especially assumptions that are contrary to fact; Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the U.S. Supreme Court, "petitioners' standing does not require precise proof of what the Board's policies might have been in that counterfactual world."[48] |
| counterproductive | 1959 | interfering with a worthy goal. Example usage: "nearly everything a liberal supports is counterproductive." |
| counter-reformation | 1840 | a movement in response to another movement, as in a counter-reformation to the homosexual agenda |
| cover-up | 1927 | concealment by government officials of the truth about a matter of public concern |
| crackpot | 1884 | crazy talk, lunacy, a person on the fringe of reality |
| creation science | 1970s | a term coined by the young-Earth creationist Henry Morris.[49] |
| Credentialism | 1967 | the often-false belief that credentials make someone a better or more competent person |
| creativity | 1875 | an ability, unique to God and his likeness, to make something from nothing |
| cronyism | 1952 | the practice of appointing friends to important government or political positions, rather than the most ideologically aligned or competent; this was particularly a flaw in George W. Bush's administration |
| cross-examination | 1824 | the most effective tool against liberal deceit, better than even the requirement of an oath |
| crystal clear | 1815 | liberals are the opposite |
| culture war | 1991 | widespread use after the book Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America by James Davison Hunter |
| cyberbullying | 2000s | a type of obnoxious and hurtful liberal behavior on the internet |
| dark money | 2010 | money that influences politics in secretive ways without traceability to its mega-donors, such as George Soros |
| DC Gulag | 2021 | coined by conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to describe the inhumane mistreatment of Trump supporters as political prisoners in the Washington, D.C. jail long after the 70-day limit for pre-trial detention under the Speedy Trial Act and Sixth Amendment |
| de minimis | 1948 | an inconsequential amount. Sample usage: "Liberals typically spend at most de minimis time reading the Bible." |
| deadweight loss | 1930s[50] | the loss in overall wealth and efficiency imposed by monopolies and taxation, due to the loss in extra value that someone would have received beyond what he would have paid for a good at a free market price |
| death panel | 2009 | a provision of Obamacare that will enable a panel of government bureaucrats to decide who receives medical treatment |
| death tax | 1989 | interestingly, the term was coined by Canadians opposed to the high estate tax on their assets held in the United States; Frank Luntz is credited with later popularizing this term in the United States.[51] |
| debunk | 1923 | derived from "bunkum" (nonsense), a term that originated in 1845 based on a silly, tiresome speech made by Congressman Felix Walker on the floor of Congress in 1820 in which he said his real audience was his constituents in Buncombe County, NC |
| decentralization | 1846 | the dispersion of power, as in a shift from national to local control |
| decrypt | 1935 | military code-breaking, which played an instrumental role in World War II in deciphering enemy codes that many felt were unbreakable; illustrates the "can do" approach of conservatism in a patriotic way |
| deep state | 2017 | the entrenched bureaucracy in D.C. that opposes and undermines attempts by a conservative president to scale back government |
| de-bank | 2021 | when banks refuse banking services to customers based upon ideological views.[52] |
| de-escalate | 1964 | strive to reduce the dangerous intensity of a physical encounter, as in police work |
| defeatism | 1918 | a negative attitude that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy |
| defensive driving | 1964 | a style of driving a car that always focuses on avoiding accidents, even those potentially caused by others; nearly a half-century later, dictionaries still do not recognize this term |
| deflation | 1891 | an increase in the value of savings |
| defund | 1948 | refers especially to termination of government funding of a wasteful or hurtful program |
| deliberative assembly | 1774[53] | used by Edmund Burke in describing the British parliament during a speech to voters in Bristol; he meant a body of persons meeting to discuss and decide common action under parliamentary law |
| demagogue | 1648 | the initial meaning of "demagogue" was positive, but preacher Robert South gave it a negative connotation in 1716 by observing that a "plausible, insignificant word, in the mouth of an expert demagogue, is a dangerous and a dreadful weapon." |
| demonic | 1662 | in its serious usage, "demonic" refers to actions that seem to be influenced by evil or by Satan himself, such as when someone acts out of character in a wrongful way, or when a group goes in a bad direction, or when random chance takes an unlikely bizarre turn; demonic also explains why some events or activities become more overbearing than they should |
| denaturalization | 1858[54] | taking away the citizenship of a naturalized citizen (a "natural born citizen" cannot be denaturalized). |
| deregulation | 1963 | Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this. |
| design by committee | before 1958 | pejorative term directed against collective production by a group |
| despotism | 1727 | a ruler with unlimited powers |
| deterrence | 1861 | Disincentive of committing a crime based on the amount of punishment |
| detransition | 2004[55] | to halt and reverse the liberal mistake of attempting to change one's gender |
| devalue | 1918 | describing an unwelcome attitude or act, as in "devaluing human life" |
| devil's advocate | 1760 | someone who espouses the position of the wrong side, in order to test, sharpen and strengthen the right side |
| devotee | 1645 | ardent follower, supporter, or loyalty to. 56 years separates devotee and devoted in etymology. |
| disinformation | 1939 | false information spread (and sometimes manufactured) by groups with a strong political agenda |
| distributed manufacturing | 2010 | a network of geographically dispersed manufacturing facilities |
| division of labor | 1776 | increasing productivity through specialization of labor, as in a husband working in manufacturing while his wife cares for children |
| dog and pony show | 1970 | an overblown event, typically having more fanfare than substance; liberals like to run a "dog and pony show" in towns having a large public university, where students brainwashed by liberal professors are led like cattle to the events |
| domino effect | 1966 | how the fall of one nation to communism can result in its harmful spread to neighboring nations |
| double standard | 1894 | applying harsher criticism against one group, such as churchgoers or conservatives, than against another group, such as atheists or liberals; recognition of a double standard by the Prodigal Son led him to repent and convert |
| doublethink | 1949 | a term first coined by George Orwell in his dystopian novel 1984; it means simultaneously holding contradictory beliefs, which is a characteristic of status worship |
| doubting Thomas | 1848 | someone who believes only what he can see and touch, and doubts all else; named after the Apostle Thomas as described at John 20:24 |
| drain the swamp | 2016 | popularized by Donald Trump, it is an expression that President Ronald Reagan once used in 1983 to “drain the swamp” in reference to big government in D.C. |
| drifter | 1897 | someone whose residency wanders about aimlessly, failing to become a permanent, productive member of any community |
| duh science | 2000 | First coined by the LA Weekly to criticize the LA Times for failing to criticize a publicly funded study that concluded that pessimistic people are often in bad moods.[56] |
| dumb down | 1933 | |
| dumpster diving | 1982 |
Searching through dumpsters for food or other material that can be used rather than discarded; first known use: "Restaurant and store owners have complained about drunks panhandling during the day and 'dumpster diving' through trash at night."[57] It is also a popular method used by watchdog groups; they rummage through the trash of organizations they consider to be corrupt, hoping to find evidence to use against them (televangelist Robert Tilton's ministry was brought down in such a manner; thousands of prayer requests -- with all the donations removed -- were found in the dumpster of his attorney). The Supreme Court of the United States in Kissinger v. New York Times ruled that when a person throws something in the trash, they forfeit any claims to property rights over the discarded items. |
| dumpster fire | 2008 | senseless chaos characteristic of liberal endeavors |
| duplicitous | 1928 | someone—particularly a liberal politician—who deceptively says one thing when he really intends to do something else |
| dystopia | 1868 | the dehumanizing opposite of "utopia"; dystopia was first coined by the Victorian philosopher, John Stuart Mill in the British House of Commons: "It is, perhaps, too complimentary to call them Utopians, they ought rather to be called dys-topians, or caco-topians." |
| Eagle Scout | 1913 | the highest rank in the Boy Scouts, the term also means "a straight-arrow and self-reliant man."[58] |
| earmark | 2009 | "A provision in congressional legislation that allocates a specified amount of money for a specific project, program or organization."[59] |
| eat crow | 1872[60] | Liberal Republican Horace Greeley was described by critics as "boiled crow," which conjured up the meaning of humiliation associated with the term "eat crow." |
| echo chamber | 1937 | a figurative room with sound-reflecting walls, where people give opinions that influence no one and are heard only by other people who have their own opinions, such as cable news talk shows |
| economic rent | 1889 | revenue above the minimum amount to keep a good or service on the market, typically due to monopoly power; notice the date of origin was only one year prior to passage of the conservative Sherman Act in 1990 |
| editorialize | 1856 | "to introduce opinion into the reporting of facts"[61] |
| educrat | 1968 | a liberal education bureaucrat |
| efficiency | 1633 | ultimately from the Latin efficientem, meaning "working out, or accomplishing"[62] |
| egotism | 1714 | the root of atheism, as explained by Paul in Romans 1:21-22; the root of depression and anxiety also |
| electioneering | 1780s | to work for the success of a particular candidate, party, ticket, etc., in an election. |
| elementary proof | 1865 | a mathematical proof based on the minimum assumptions associated with real analysis; term probably does not predate complex analysis and its first use may have been the English mathematician James Joseph Sylvester's paper, "On an elementary proof and generalisation of Sir Isaac Newton's hitherto undenionstrated rule for the discovery of imaginary roots."[63] |
| elitism | 1950 | an attitude or belief in one's superiority based solely on membership in a particular group or community, especially liberals |
| embryoscopy | 1967[64] | Search this term on the internet and see the spectacular photos of the unborn child ("embryo") that were "scoped" by tiny cameras. |
| empowerment | 1986 | facilitating power for the ordinary; see also best of the public |
| empty nest | 1962 | a family home after children have grown and left |
| endgame | 1881 | a term from the conservative game of chess which refers to the final part of a project or triumph |
| entitlement | 1944 | a liberal welfare state's "reward" for refusing to work hard and succeed |
| entitlement mentality | 1980s | a state of mind where people think they own things that are not theirs and which they did not work for |
| entrepreneur | 1852 | a brave person willing to take the necessary risks to establish a business, often found in the free market enterprise system |
| ethnic voting | 1900s | widely recognized and even advocated by some,[65] yet the dictionary doesn't yet recognize it |
| etiquette | 1740 | social standards of behavior that promote dignity and discourage inept communications (or lack thereof) |
| Eurabia | 1970s | A satirical word based on the idea that Europe is rapidly becoming Islamized. |
| Eurosceptic | 1970s | someone who opposes joining the super-socialist European Union; some prefer the term "Eurorealist" to express this opposition, and sometimes "Eurosceptic" is used to criticize opponents of the EU |
| everyman | 1906 | the typical person |
| exceptional | 1787 | same year of origin as the U.S. Constitution! |
| exculpatory | 1781 | often used in the phrase "exculpatory evidence," it took nearly 50 years to develop this term after origination of the legal term suggesting guilt: "incriminate" |
| existence proof | 1950 | overcoming denial that something is possible by referencing its existence |
| expatriate | 1768 | to give up one's own citizenship, or be banished by one's own nation |
| explain away | 1704 | a weaker form of liberal denial, "explain away" the truth is the only way that some remain liberal as they grow older |
| expose | 1803 | (noun) a statement of the facts, typically to discredit wrongdoing by government |
| eyeball-to-eyeball | 1962 | "We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked" was a conservative statement by Secretary of State Dean Rusk during the Cuban Missile Crisis.[66] |
| facade | 1845[67] | Example usage: "The facade of a liberal politician is often conservative." |
| fair shake | 1830 | approaching an idea or concept with an open mind |
| fairy tale | 1749 | a fanciful fictional story. Sample usage: "Evolution is a fairy tale for adults who don't want to read and accept the logic of the Bible." |
| faith healing | 1885 | |
| faithless elector | 2016 | an elector in the Electoral College who violates his pledge to support the candidate chosen by the voters in his state, and instead votes for someone else or abstains; the liberal media thereby referred to electors who might betray Trump |
| fake news | 2017[68] | Popularized by President Donald Trump in describing false smears by the liberal media against him and other conservatives. |
| false flag | 2015 | deceptive tactic by ISIS and other insurgents to commit heinous acts but falsely make it look like the governing regime did it. The origin of the name comes from a ship sailing under the false flag of its adversary until it got close enough to fire upon them. |
| family values | 1916 | a moral code that binds together and strengthens a typical family unit; widespread use after a speech by Vice President Dan Quayle, 1992 |
| fat farm | 1969 | a place where obese people—such as self-centered atheists—might go to try to lose weight |
| father figure | 1934 | someone who fulfills the essential role of a father, biological or figurative |
| faux conservative | 1990[69] | |
| federal government | 1787 | used by Alexander Hamilton in the first phrase of the Federalist Papers to signify a government that is not fully sovereign, as the States are |
| federalism | 1789 | the unique system of dual sovereigns, state and federal (national), established by the U.S. Constitution |
| fear-mongering | 1938[70] | a method of stirring up exaggerated fear by the public, typically to expand government |
| feedback | 1920 | an all-important element of accountability and improvement, and a key consideration in good engineering design |
| fellow traveller | 1925 | may have existed earlier, but popularized in 1924 by Leon Trotsky. Describes a sympathizer of a cause but who does not formally belong to the cause, such as a communist sympathizer who is not part of the communist party. The term was invented by the communists in its original, non-negative sense, but the conservatives were the first to use it as a pejorative term. |
| fiscal cliff | 2012 | first coined by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, it refers to the effect on the economy of a sharp drop in spending and perhaps an increase in taxes scheduled to take effect at approximately the same time.[71] |
| fleebaggers | 2011 | a play on the word "teabaggers", a "fleebagger" is a Democrat state legislator who flees his or her state in order to block a quorum needed to pass conservative legislation, such as an election integrity bill in Texas in 2021.[72] |
| flip-flop | 1976 | verb, meaning to change political position, typically due to liberal pressure. First used by the Republican S.I. Hayakawa campaign to describe California Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator John Tunney, whom Hayakawa defeated in an upset. |
| force majeure | 1883 | an intervening event beyond ordinary anticipation, such as an act of God or, in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic, which justifies nullifying a legal contract |
| force-feed | 1901 | to force someone to accept something, often against that person's will; what liberals do to students in public schools today in training them to be atheistic socialists |
| fornonormativity | 2016 | A state of a society, organization, or group in which fornication and related behaviors are presupposed to be normal, morally good, and expected. In a fornonormative social milieu, people who abstain from or oppose certain behaviors are considered deviant or worse. |
| forward-looking | 1800 | planning for the future rather than dwelling on the past |
| Founding Fathers | 1914 | the several dozen Christians[73], not semi-secular deists, contrary to popular belief, who helped draft the formative documents of the United States |
| Frankenstein | 1818 | a misuse of science in creating a monster; a science fiction warning against scientism. Coined as the title of Mary Shelley's popular novel, where the monster's creator was named "Frankenstein" per a dream she had. |
| free enterprise | 1820 | |
| free lunch | 1949 | something acquired ostensibly without paying for it, as in welfare; often used to remind people that "there's no such thing as a free lunch" in order to point out that it must cost someone something, now or later. |
| free market | 1907 | an economy wherein anyone can run a business with limited government intervention, if not none at all |
| free speech | 1873 | shorthand for "freedom of speech," but with a connotation that extends to non-citizens and listeners; first used in a U.S. Supreme Court opinion in dissent in the Slaughter-House Cases by Justice Bradley |
| free world | 1949 | areas of the world free of communism, fascism, and other dystopian, oppressive liberal governments |
| freeloader | 1934 | someone who avoids paying or working to earn a share of a benefit |
| frontiersmen | 1814 | living and working in a self-sufficient manner and with courage in a new land. |
| fuzzy math | 1937 | non-computational math designed to obscure the differences between the correct answers and the incorrect—but perhaps politically motivated—answers |
| galvanize | 1802 | as in, "the liberal proposals galvanized the grassroots in opposition" |
| gambit | 1656 | a sacrifice that obtains an advantageous position, as in the game of chess (Bobby Fischer's queen's gambit was a masterpiece) or in real life (the Passion of Christ) |
| gamble | 1726 | to intentionally take a risk for the sake of the risk itself, often addictive and even demonic as in gambling |
| gang up | 1925 | group pressure |
| gateway drug | 1982 | a slang term describing an addictive substance that can lead to a more addictive substance, as in when abuse of alcohol/marijuana eventually leads to harder drugs cocaine/heroin |
| gerrymandering | 1812 | coined by a newspaper editor to criticize the manipulation of the lines of a new district into a salamander shape[74] that favored election of a liberal politician |
| gimmick | 1922 | originally meant a deceptive mechanical device for controlling a gambling machine, and then its meaning expanded to include all trickery to attract attention |
| girlie men | 1988 | popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger before he became California's Republican governor, beginning when he campaigned for President George H.W. Bush by referring to his liberal opponents as "girlie men" |
| Giving Tuesday | 2012 | a day of charity during the Christmas season, in response to "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" |
| glasnost | 1972[75] | from Russian, meaning regime openness to publicity rather than continued liberal censorship |
| globalism | 1997 | Merriam-Webster states it was first used in 1943[76] and the OED gives a date of 1965 for the exact term "globalism";[77] the term "globalization" was first used in the mid-1980s in a different, complimentary sense. |
| gobbledygook | 1944 | circular bureaucratic directives; term was coined by conservative Texan Congressman Maury Maverick |
| God-fearing | 1835 | Living by the rules of God; living in a way that is considered morally right. |
| godsend | 1820 | something so miraculous that there is no other explanation for it other than it being a blessing from God; can be used positively in both the literal and figurative sense |
| go-getter | 1921 | someone who works hard with unwavering determination to achieve a goal |
| gold standard | 1831 | the highest standard. With respect to currency, when money could be exchanged for a fixed amount of gold. |
| golden parachute | 1981 | a pejorative term for a pre-arranged handout to a corporate executive when fired, as when the company is taken over by new ownership |
| good book | 1860 | the Bible |
| Good Samaritan | 1640 | a person who performs acts of voluntary charity, as did a Samaritan in one of Jesus's parables |
| goon | 1926 | a dim-witted thug, especially one who intimidates on behalf of a union |
| government school | 1955 | coined by economist Milton Friedman as a more accurate name for public schools |
| grade inflation | 1975 | the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement. |
| gradualism | 1835 | a form of liberal creep |
| grandmaster | 1927 | the elite chess ranking of excellence, based entirely on merit, which is 99% male to the dismay of feminists |
| grandstand | 1917 | to act in an insincere or exaggerated manner in order to try to impress onlookers |
| grassroots | 1901 | |
| gravy train | 1927 | easy money for little or no work, in contrast with the work ethic; notice how the Great Depression hit two years later |
| greasy spoon | 1902 | a free enterprise term for a small, cheap restaurant - which in many places is just what the public wants; reflects Jesus' Biblical scientific foreknowledge about the digestive system |
| Great Awakening | 1730-1740 | A religious revival. Christian Great Awakenings recur periodically. See Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America. |
| Gresham's Law | 1858 | the tendency in a free market for bad money (which loses its value) to drive out (be used more often in transactions) than good money (which retains its value), because people want to horde the good money while getting rid of the bad money; a similar effect can be seen when profanity drives out intelligent discussion |
| grooming | 2008 | the wrongful co-opting by adults of children, such as public school students, to become homosexual or transgender; Florida enacted anti-grooming laws in 2022 and again in 2024 (HB 1545). |
| groupthink | 1952 | a style of thought consisting of conformity to a manufactured consensus and self-deception; coined by William H. Whyte in 1952. |
| guardian angel | 1631 | a protector who guards someone from danger or evil; sometimes even a stranger unknown to the person protected. |
| half-baked | 1855 | an idea that can appear reasonable at first, but with just a little thought it is recognized to be absurd |
| hallmark | 1721 | purity, authenticity, as in an official seal or distinguishing feature |
| handout | 1882 | describes charity and government giveaways |
| happy talk | 1973 | senseless banter among broadcasters in the lamestream media, as a substitute for real news; more generally, happy talk is unjustifiably feel-good rhetoric that implicitly denies the real existence of Hell. |
| hardworking | 1774 | the quality of working persistently to achieve something |
| harmless error | 1861 | an insignificant violation of a duty or procedural rule; first used in Western Ins. Co. v. The Goody Friends, 29 F. Cas. 764 (S.D. Ohio 1861) (referring to a duty) |
| hatchet job | 1944 | still looking for the context of its first use; today it means an article, typically by a liberal, that misleadingly smears someone, typically a conservative |
| Hawthorne effect | 1962 | the increase in achievement resulting merely from being observed; this was demonstrated by experiment at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric in Cicero, Illinois |
| hearsay journalism | 2015 | reliance on and repetition of falsehoods by anonymous sources, often from social media, which are typically underachieving liberal trolls. |
| heartland | 1904 | the central portion of the United States known for its Midwestern conservative values, Midwestern austerity, unpretentious culture, and lack of control by the liberal media and Hollywood.[78] |
| heckler's veto | 1965 | coined by University of Chicago Law Professor Harvey Kalven, Jr., a strong supporter of free speech in politics, this term has been used in Supreme Court decisions by Justices Sam Alito,[79] Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas.[80] |
| high maintenance | 1980s[81] | someone, often liberal, who repeatedly demands attention and unproductive help from others |
| hindsight | 1866 | understanding of an event or decision with the benefit of wisdom gained afterward |
| hippie | 1965 | a member of the original 1960s counterculture, which rejects traditional morality, encourages smoking marijuana and LSD, promotes feminine hairstyles on men and masculine hairstyles on women, encourages limitless extramarital sex, and shuns hard work; this term became increasingly pejorative over time |
| hissy fit | 1970 | an unjustified tantrum, typically female in nature, as in "feminists had a hissy fit when Lawrence Summers suggested (but criticized) the possibility that women have weaker scientific aptitude than men, and Summers ultimately resigned." |
| hoax | 1796 | to deceive the public into believing something that is false, often to pull people away from the Christianity and the Bible. |
| Hobson's choice | 1649[82] | an ostensible choice that disguises a lack of freedom, because each alternative is completely unacceptable. This term is invoked to criticize an illusory freedom of choice. This term has been used in 48 cases by Supreme Court Justices, more often by conservatives than by liberals. |
| hokey | 1927 | phony, in an obvious or corny way (in 1908, "hokum" originated, which means pretentious nonsense[83]) |
| Holy Week | 1710 | the week leading up to Easter, including the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection |
| home rule | 1855[84] | self-government on an issue at a local level, as in curriculum in education being established by a school district rather than the state or federal government |
| homemaker | 1876 | a wife and mother whose efforts are wisely spent running the household for the family |
| homeschool | 1980[85] | |
| hometown | 1912 | the place where someone grew up and typically obtained some benefit |
| homosexual agenda | 1989 | the sociopolitical ideology governing homosexuals; used to promote the agenda in the book After the Ball, but then used to criticize the movement by Justice Antonin Scalia in his dissent in Lawrence v. Texas (2003) |
| honor system | 1903 | an approach to discipline that emphasizes and encourages trust, honesty and personal responsibility rather than constant supervision |
| human rights | 1766 | rights of all peoples, such as to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as set forth in the Declaration of Independence |
| hype | 1931 | originally meant to deceive or "put on," and then its meaning shifted slightly to represent extravagant promotion of something as the liberal media often do
set forth in the Declaration of Independence |
| hypergamy | 1883 | the preference of many women to "marry up," which requires a society where men tend to make more than women do |
| hyphenated American | 1889 | an American citizen who identifies as another nationality before identifying as American; President Theodore Roosevelt said in 1915, "There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American." |
| hypothesis | 1656 | a suggestion, typically scientific in nature, which must be tested and proven before asserted as truth |
| hysteria | 1801 | From the Latin hystericus, from Greek hystera meaning "womb"[86] (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the womb). |
| idealist | 1829 | a person guided by ideals |
| illiteracy | 1660 | a lack of reading comprehension or writing ability, which often results in lack of free will; liberals seek to produce illiterate voters who lack independence, and many graduates of the public schools are illiterate today |
| inalienable | 1640s | describes something cannot be taken away, especially by government, as in "inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence |
| inattentive | 1741[87] | more than 150 years before the discovery in physics of the connection between attentiveness/observation and uncertainty/chaos, this conservative word cautioned against inattentiveness |
| incentivize | 1970 | to create a reward to encourage good work |
| incidental inequality | 2009 | inequalities that result as side effects of an objectively just system |
| incoherent | 1626 | not consistently making sense; the term often applies to liberal double standards |
| incompleteness | 1931 | a system of logic or mathematics that includes propositions that are impossible to prove or disprove; term coined as a result of Kurt Gödel's work in 1931 |
| incrementalism | 1966 | imposing bad political or social change slowly |
| indecisive | 1726 | being unable to make a decision; can result from a lack of faith and determination |
| independence | 1640 | free will |
| individualism | 1827 | the idea that values, rights and duties arise from the individual |
| inerrancy | 1834 | free from error, as in "biblical inerrancy" |
| infinitesimal | 1706 | vanishingly small and approaching zero, as in the faith of an atheist |
| inflationary | 1920 | policies causing inflation of the monetary supply |
| informed consent | 1967 | consent to surgery is meaningful only if informed, a requirement that should apply to abortion |
| initiative | 1793 | self-starting first step toward improvement, overcoming a tendency of complacent underachievement |
| inoculate | 1721 | to safeguard against future harm by developing immunity against it. Sample usage: "Conservapedia inoculates against liberal claptrap." |
| insightful | 1907 | what conservatism is about: gaining insights into the truth, and bettering individuals and society with them |
| inside baseball | 1978[88] | strategy and tactics known to the well-informed participants, but mysterious to most observers |
| intangible | 1914 | something valuable that cannot be seen or touched, such as goodwill |
| intellectual property | 1845 | denotes an intangible work that rightfully belongs to its creator, e.g. "we [should] protect intellectual property, the labors of the mind, productions and interests as much a man's own, and as much the fruit of his honest industry, as the wheat he cultivates, or the flocks he rears." Davoll v. Brown, 7 F. Cas. 197 (Cir. Ct. Mass. 1845) (Woodbury, federal judge). |
| intelligent design | 1991[89] | coined in Darwin on Trial, a book by Philip Johnson, who is considered the father of the intelligent design movement and who co-founded the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture in 1996[90] |
| interventionism | 1923 | "governmental interference in economic affairs at home or in political affairs of another country"[91] |
| invisible hand | 1776 | coined by Adam Smith in the The Wealth of Nations and widely used today. |
| invisible hand of marriage | 2008 | discovered on Conservapedia, it is the unseen force of productivity that results from marriage (only between a man and woman). |
| Iron Curtain | 1945 | coined by Winston Churchill in a speech in Missouri just after World War II, to describe the communist's figurative wall against freedom |
| irreducible complexity | 1935 | coined[92] and later adopted and developed by Michael Behe to describe structure or system that could not possibly have evolved, because removing any part makes it nonfunctional, thereby showing that God must have created it whole into biology; if the Nobel Prize were not dominated by atheism, Behe could win one for this insight. |
| Islamofascism | 1990? | A form of totalitarian Muslim fundamentalist rule, or extreme Islamism. |
| ivory tower | 1910 | a description of the pampered culture of liberal professors, and how far out of touch with the truth it is |
| jabberwocky | 1872 | meaningless talk; coined by Lewis Carroll, a conservative mathematician, in his classic book "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There" |
| Jekyll and Hyde | 1886 | established by the great conservative novel known today as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and a metaphor for liberal politicians and trolls. |
| John Hancock | 1903 | a personal signature, especially in a bold style that stands up for principles as John Hancock did with his signing the United States Declaration of Independence |
| judicial activism | 1947 | first coined in an article in Fortune magazine by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.,[93] and repeatedly used in U.S. Supreme Court opinions since 1967,[94] yet as of 2009 Merriam-Webster dictionary still fails to recognize this widely used term. |
| judicial prejudice | 2009 | the bias of a judge in favor of a political correct identity group intended to rig outcome equality in favor of that group based on subjective bias rather than objective justice. |
| judicial restraint | 1942 | "Assuming that this court has power to act, it does not necessarily follow that it should act. ... In a number of situations, and in a number of cases, it has been held that courts should voluntarily refrain from using or asserting power. Where the use or assertion of power might be destructive of a well defined purpose of law or of a declared public policy such voluntarily imposed judicial restraint may be commendable."[95] |
| judicial supremacist | 2004 | one who advocates that the courts should be supreme over the other branches of government for certain legal issues; first coined in a book by Phyllis Schlafly; first used by the judiciary by the Michigan Supreme Court in Paige v. City of Sterling Heights, 476 Mich. 495 (2006).[96] |
| judicial taking | 1982 | the deprivation of private property due to a court decision; this concept was introduced by conservative Justice Potter Stewart in 1967, and the term was used for the first time independently by the Michigan and Hawaii Supreme Courts in the same month (!) in December 1982, and then used often in law review articles and Circuit Court decisions in the 2000s, and then four Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed the principle in a decision in 2010, with two others accepting the possibility. |
| junk science | 1962[97] | the corruption of the scientific method to advance other, often political, goals (such as Global Warming) |
| jury nullification | 1948 | the power of a jury to overrule the law and acquit an ostensibly guilty defendant; the power was established in the colonies in 1735 in the trial of John Peter Zenger, but this term was first used in state court by Pfeuffer v. Haas, 55 S.W.2d 111 (Tex. Civ. App. 1932) and in federal court by Skidmore v. Baltimore & O. R. Co., 167 F.2d 54 (2nd Cir. 1948) |
| Kafkaesque | 1946 | illogical, nightmare-like situations, which typically arise from Leftist control of a bureaucracy |
| killjoy | 1776 | one who spoils the pleasure of others.[98] Example-Vandals seek to disrupt conservative wikis, an education project. They are a killjoy to the learning process. |
| kiss of death | 1943 | a kiss symbolizing the promise to kill someone, from Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss, Mark 14:44-4 |
| kleptocrat | 1819 | A politician who seeks status and personal gain at the expense of the governed |
| kowtow | 1826 | obsequious, unthinking obedience to someone or something, used especially in the context of dictatorships and liberal belief systems |
| Kremlinology | 1958 | the study of the otherwise indecipherable behavior of the government of the communist Soviet Union. Refers to the Kremlin, the traditional seat of Russian government (Soviet or not). |
| kudos | 1831 | praise for real achievement |
| kvetch | 1952 | to repeatedly complain, usually about unimportant, self-centered issues |
| la-la land | 1979[99] | a term for the decadent, liberal culture of Hollywood-driven Los Angeles, originally capitalized as "La-La land."; Merriam-Webster is in denial about this etymology and claims a later origin of 1983. |
| labor camp | 1900 | forced work prison |
| laissez-faire | 1825 | opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is minimally necessary |
| lame duck | 1761 | a public official whose current power is diminished because he will not be reelected, and thus lacks continuing authority |
| lamestream media | 2009 | coined by Bernie Goldberg to describe the clueless Mainstream media that repeat superficial, discredited liberal claptrap |
| landslide | 1838 | In the political sense, an overwhelming election victory. A clear, democratic expression of popular will. |
| lapdog | 1950 | Coined by Senator Joe McCarthy in the figurative sense as he attempted to remove communists from the State Department: "Senator McCarthy (R-Wis) renewed his Communists-in-Government charges today and called Senator Tydings (D-Md) the Truman administration's 'whimpering lap dog.'"[100] |
| lawfare | 2017[101] | misuse of the legal system, typically by liberals, to seek political or financial gain while harming conservatives such as Trump and critics of election fraud,[102] |
| leadership | 1821 | an ability and willingness to lead, often by example |
| learning curve | 1922 | initial, extra time and effort that is typically necessary before someone becomes productive |
| Left Coast | 1990s | a more descriptive term for the West Coast of the United States |
| leftism | 1920 | principles and doctrine of leftists |
| level-headed | 1876 | "balanced", "having common sense and sound judgment" |
| liberal creep | 2008 | liberal bias that gradually creeps or distorts an entry, definition, explanation, description, or historical account. |
| life vest | 1939 | a pro-life invention |
| lifelong | 1855 | something, usually a commitment, that lasts a lifetime, as in "a lifelong commitment to Christ" |
| limousine liberal | 1969 | a multi-millionaire who pretends to be compassionate about the poor, but supports liberal policies that increase burdens on working Americans |
| litmus test | 1952 | use of a single political issue to determine if a candidate or nominee is acceptable |
| local | 1824[103] | common usage: "all politics is local" |
| lockstep | 1802 | mindless conformity, often to liberal values |
| locomotive | 1829 | a great engine of economic growth during the Industrial Revolution |
| lone wolf | 1909 | a person who prefers to work, act, or live alone,[104] synonymous with self-sufficiency |
| loose cannon | 1973 | an undisciplined person or program that dangerously lacks forethought; used in mid-November 1976 to describe $11 billion in unspent appropriations by the Ford Administration: "'That money,' says Arnold Packer, a senior Senate Budget Committee economist who is helping Carter draw up his shadow budget, 'is like a loose cannon rolling around the deck' because a sudden reappearance of the funds could be inflationary." (BusinessWeek) |
| lowest common denominator | 1854 | the lowest in work ethic, morals, or knowledge among a group; typically used to criticize the liberal practice of dumbing down content |
| low-information voter | 2007 | a term that explains why people vote for Democrats |
| lunatic fringe | 1913 | coined by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to describe members of eccentric, radical or extremist groups[105] |
| Lysenkoism | 1933 | "used metaphorically to describe the manipulation or distortion of the scientific process as a way to reach a predetermined conclusion as dictated by an ideological bias, most often related to political objectives,"[106] as Stalin did to justifying starving tens of millions in 1932 by withholding grain from Ukrainian farmers |
| machismo | 1948 | a slang word for masculine charm, never used favorably by feminists |
| magnum opus | 1791 | the greatest work by an author, as in Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations published 15 years before this term was coined. |
| Main Street | 1743 | one of the many small towns in America, and their conservative values |
| mainstay | 1787 | the primary support, typically for something good |
| make-work | 1923 | inefficient or useless activity that has the false appearance of being productive; a favorite endeavor of liberals. Jesus criticized make-work at Luke 10:41-42 |
| mama's boy | 1850 | an effeminate male due to an overbearing mother |
| manhunt | 1846 | notice how sexist the term is, and yet liberals have not been able to convert it to "personhunt" |
| man-hater | 1970s[107] | William Safire wrote in the New York Times in 1983, "Misandry, from the Greek misandros for 'hating men,' is in the 1961 Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary, and the Oxford Dictionary Supplement traces it to 1946. The word is pronounced as 'Ms. Andry,' but I wonder why we need the Greek word for it. What's wrong with good, old-fashioned man-hater?"[108] |
| man-to-man | 1902 | a style of candor and honesty when men in good faith deal with each other and see a resolution beneficial to all |
| market failure | 1958[109] | instances where the free market does not provide a desirable result, as when information is withheld from an unsuspecting consumer |
| manifest destiny | 1845 | Providential design over future events, which originated in the context of expanding the United States to the Pacific Ocean |
| Mardi Gras | 1699 | The annual celebration on the eve of Ash Wednesday and Lent, particularly in the historically Catholic city of New Orleans. |
| marriage redefinition | 2003 | descriptive term used to criticize the legalizing of same-sex marriage in Canada. |
| mask police | 2020 | busybodies, typically anti-Trumpers, who demand that others wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic despite unproven benefits of masks |
| materialism | 1748 | the view of life that physical matter is all that exists; as an "ism", the term criticizes such view |
| meat and potatoes | 1951 | the most interesting or fundamental part |
| Medal of Honor | 1898 | a special American military honor for bravery on the battlefield |
| media bullying | 2008[110] | first coined by Conservapedia, media bullying is aggressive bias by the media in the attempt to influence a politician or others, typically toward a liberal goal |
| melting pot | 1912 | a nation that requires "social and cultural assimilation" of immigrants for successful immigration[111] |
| memory hole | 1949 | a term created by George Orwell in his classic novel, 1984, to describe the censoring of something historical for political reasons |
| mercantilism | 1776 | a term popularized by Adam Smith in his The Wealth of Nations (as "mercantile"[112]), although he was critical of its emphasis on the accumulation of precious metals such as gold and the use of tariffs to build national wealth; this term is conservative in favoring nationalism and population growth |
| meritocracy | 1958 | a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement |
| microeconomics | 1947 | the study of the economics of the individual person or business |
| micromanage | 1985 | insistence on controlling details, typically by liberals to censor progress; Ronald Reagan was critical of this style by Democrat Presidents |
| Midwest conservative | 2006 | used initially to describe right-leaning politicians from the Midwest including Gerald Ford when he passed away, the term captures the mixture of common sense, intellectualism, and faith that leads the conservative movement from the heartland. |
| mind control | 1944 | a pejorative term for how an atheistic government influences what people believe, especially through public education |
| mindset | 1909 | close-minded point-of-view, typically in adherence to a liberal falsehood and often to the exclusion of Christ |
| missile defense | 1980s | popularized by President Ronald Reagan as part of SDI |
| mission creep | 1991 | the liberal tendency to incrementally broaden the original goals of an organization or mission; used by Tucker Carlson to describe the defect in the investigation by Robert Mueller of the Trump Administration in 2017 |
| missionary | 1625 | someone sent on a mission, typically a religious mission |
| mob justice | 2021 | used by multiple critics of the demands and pressure by liberals for a murder conviction in the Derek Chauvin trial, despite a lack of evidence for any intent to kill or a wrongful cause of death |
| mobocracy | 1754 | rule by a mob, as at Wikipedia |
| monogamy | 1612 | this has the same date of origin as "productive", and that may not be a coincidence! |
| moonlighting | 1957 | working more than a full-time job in order to be as productive as possible; the work ethic at its best |
| moral majority | 1979 | coined by Jerry Falwell to describe the movement of growing moral, Christian conservatives. |
| moxie | 1930 | determined enthusiasm, initially coined as a trademark for a popular soft drink sold at baseball games and elsewhere |
| muckety–muck | 1912 | a pejorative term for an arrogant person who holds a title or position considered to be important by others |
| muckraker | 1910 | a person who searches out and publicly exposes deceit[113] |
| Murphy's Law | 1958 | if something can go wrong, then it will go wrong: this was a conservative insight by engineer Edward Murphy |
| muscle car | 1967 | placing a powerful engine in a classic two-door car for highly efficient performance; the result celebrates masculine style against erosion by feminism |
| myopic | 1990s | originally a term in optometry (1752), 1990's used to describe liberals' lack of foresight |
| namby-pamby | 1745[114] | weak, indecisive, and, when describing a male group, also effeminate |
| name-dropping | 1950 | a term critical of the liberal practice of seeking to impress others by casually mentioning personal association with prominent people regardless of relevance to the conversation |
| nanny state | 1978 | "Under the New Economic Policy, [the new French Prime Minister Raymond] Barre has made it clear that industrial lame ducks can no longer count on the generosity of Nanny i.e. the state - for bailing out."[115] Note how two powerful new conservative terms led to a third here! |
| national conservatism | 1976 | a concept that applies more to the conservative movements in Europe, but also in the United States with respect first to Barry Goldwater's senate reelections campaigns and ultimately to President Donald Trump |
| negativism | 1824 | mental attitude that tends that is skeptical about almost everything, except one's own views |
| newspeak | 1949 | political or media expressions using circumlocution and euphemisms to disguise or distract from the truth; first coined by George Orwell in 1984 |
| neopopulism | 2012 | a form of populism that is conservative, as articulated by the book Neopopulism as Counterculture.[116] In a somewhat different way, the populism-based election of Donald Trump was also a conservative neopopulism. |
| Never-Trumper | 2015 | emotional, nearly deranged opponents of Donald Trump, such as Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney |
| noel | 1811 | a Christmas carol or, when capitalized, Christmas itself |
| non-justiciable | 1922[117] | a difficult issue that the courts should not attempt to resolve, often because it is too political in nature |
| non-locality | 1920s | action at a distance at the atomic level; even though proven, it is still opposed by those who believe in relativity and still not recognized by Merriam-Webster |
| nonstarter | 1902 | an idea—typically a liberal one—that has no possibility of being productive |
| nonstarter | 1902 | an idea—typically a liberal one—that has no possibility of being productive |
| nothingburger | 1953[118] | A useful term in deflating persons or theories, as in Leftist conspiracy theories and politicians. |
| nuclear family | 1920s | a family consisting of a Leave It to Beaver-style upbringing of children with one mother and father only. |
| nullification | 1798 | assertion of authority by a State against encroachment by the federal government, in defense of liberty |
| obstructionism | 1879 | deliberate interference with free speech or legislative progress, as when liberal legislators (the "fleebaggers") fled Wisconsin to try to block a reform |
| October surprise | 1980 | a scheme by Dems to cause surprise headlines in the liberal media to influence an upcoming election, as first predicted by conservative Bill Casey[119] and as later done by Dems to GOP candidates George W. Bush in 2000 and to Donald Trump in 2016 |
| off the grid | 1978 | self-sufficiency independent of public utilities for electricity and municipalities for water |
| officialdom | 1863 | people who are "officials" in government; the term is used today in a pejorative manner to criticize them. |
| Old Glory | 1862 | a poetic name for the United States of America flag, as is Stars & Stripes |
| one-size-fits-all | 1996[120] | Lee Wishing, director of communications for conservative Grove City College, in criticism of how the government administers student loans: "Unfortunately, with government programs, it's one size fits all."[121] The 2008 Republican platform states, "We reject a one-size-fits-all approach and support parental options, including home schooling, and local innovations such as schools or classes for boys only or for girls only and alternative and innovative school schedules."[122] |
| one-trick pony | 1980 | a person or group that relies repeatedly on the same gimmick, as in "the media are a one-trick pony in their criticism of Rand Paul" |
| open-minded | 1828 | see Essay:Quantifying Openmindedness |
| opportunistic bioterrorism | 2020 | Concealment of the emergence of a biological agent, pathogen or a disease by acts of commission or omission with the knowledge that such an act will harm or kill humans, animals, or plants with the intent to intimidate or coerce a government or civilian population to further political or social objectives or by using a situation to get power or an advantage.[123] |
| opportunity cost | 1911 | |
| optimism | 1759 | |
| ordered pair | 1870s | developed by the Christian Georg Cantor, this conservative concept was part of the set theory that he invented and revolutionized mathematics with, despite opposition by the establishment |
| organic food | 1950s | a grassroots conservative response, led by mom-and-pop consumers and pharmacies, against government-approved pesticides and mandatory fluoridation |
| originalism | 1985 | taken from the concept of "original intent." The belief that the United States Constitution should be interpreted in the way the authors originally intended it |
| originality | 1742 | Liberals not only lack originality, but (like Justice Hugo Black) are often hostile to its possibility. |
| Orwellian | 1960s | terminology or style that advances the power of big government but is hurtful or nonsensical[124] |
| ostensibly | 1765 | having an outward appearance that may not reflect the underlying truth; good potential use is Luke 3:23 in describing Jesus as the son of Joseph |
| outflank | 1765 | to move swiftly around an opponent, a military tactic mastered by conservative General George Patton to crush the Germans in World War II |
| overthink | 1987[125] | to think so much about a problem or issue as to miss more advantageous, simpler approaches. Sample usage: Donald Trump's successful style illustrated that his rivals were overthinking politics. |
| pack heat | 1940s | carry a concealed firearm, allowed by permit in nearly every state, yet liberal bias has made dictionaries slow to recognize this term |
| Pagan Rome | ??? | a blunt reference, used mostly by Seventh-day Adventist Christians, to summarize the pagan depravity of the Roman Empire |
| parenting | 1958 | children raising |
| Parkinson's Law | 1955 | how bureaucracies expand regardless of productivity, and how inefficient work expands to fill the time available for its completion |
| parochial school | 1755 | a donation-supported, religious alternative to the mistake of public schools |
| Parthian shot | 1832 | a negative term for the tactic of expressing criticism while one exits, just as the ancient Parthians would shoot arrows while retreating in battle. This tactic is common among those who reject conservative truths, as seen when left-leaning editors leave Conservapedia. |
| partial-birth abortion | 1995[126] | a hideous "dilation and extraction" abortion late in pregnancy that dismembers the child and punctures his head |
| passive-aggressive | 1946 | aggressively obstinate by failing to act, as liberals are in refusing to read the Bible with an open mind |
| patent troll | 2001 | a company that obtains or buys up patents for the sole purpose of asserting infringement claims, and without any intention of actually manufacturing the invention; the term was first coined by Peter Detkin, in-house counsel to Intel |
| patriotism | 1726 | the concept of being willing to serve one's nation under any circumstances, especially when defending it against outside opponents |
| Pavlovian | 1926 | a conditioned, automatic and unthinking response to a signal; it has been used twice by conservative Supreme Court Justices. "It is well established that this Court does not, or at least should not, respond in Pavlovian fashion to confessions of error by the Solicitor General." De Marco v. United States, 415 U.S. 449, 451 (1974) (Rehnquist, J., dissenting); "'Incorporation' has become so Pavlovian that my Brother BLACK barely mentions the Fourteenth Amendment in the course of an 11-page opinion dealing with the procedural rule the State of Florida has adopted for cases tried in Florida courts under Florida's criminal laws." Williams v. Fla., 399 U.S. 78, 144 (1970) (Stewart, J., dissenting and concurring). |
| pejorative | 1882 | a word that has negative connotations in describing something, which the liberal media use while pretending that the term is neutral, such as "nativism" or "isolationism" |
| Pelosi pawn | 2021 | The term described RINO Liz Cheney as she became a toady for the Leftist agenda in supporting continued investigation and even imprisonment of ordinary Americans for entering the United States Capitol on January 6th. |
| perpetual war | 1947 | Coined by historian Charles A. Beard,[127] it has been used most recently by Ann Coulter |
| personhood [128] | 1955 | Inherent rights guaranteed to all human beings from the beginning of their biological development, including the pre-born, partially born. Also, the state or fact of being a person. |
| Philadelphia | 1682 | coined by William Penn and meaning "city of brotherly love," the concept captures the "best of the public" approach |
| phonics | 1684 | conservatives have long championed phonics to promote literacy, Bible-reading, and informed voters; liberals take the opposite position |
| phony | 1900[129] | needed to address liberal deceit |
| photo bias | 1992[130] | a common trick of the liberal media to push the reader to the political left on an issue, as in displaying a man without teeth as an opponent of a liberal bill or candidate. |
| Pickwickian | 1836 | a simple and generous quality, usually a person in the mold of Samuel Pickwick, a character in Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers |
| pie in the sky | 1911 | an unrealistic claim of value about a future materialistic benefit |
| piece of cake | 1936 | Sample usage: with church and the Bible, life can be a piece of cake, but without Christ it can be very difficult |
| plandemic | 2020 | politically motivated hysteria over a pandemic, in order to advance Leftist goals such as mail-in voting and increased government control through vaccine mandates and passports, and mandatory masking of schoolchildren |
| plasticity | 1783 | having a plastic quality that conforms to molding or pressure; in pejorative usage, someone who easily conforms to peer pressure or liberal falsehoods |
| play in Peoria | 1969 | a saying in defiance of the liberal media-dominated culture on the coasts, first used in this way by President Richard Nixon's aide John D. Ehrlichman in response to the press: "Don't worry, it'll play in Peoria."[131] |
| poetic justice | 1890 | when virtue is rewarded and/or wrongdoing is punished in an indirect or unexpected way |
| point of order | 1745[132] | an objection to how a proceeding or discussion is being conducted, typically in opposition to liberal style and bias |
| political capital | 2004 | popularized by President George W. Bush after he won reelection and declared that he would "spend" the political capital by implementing his agenda |
| political machine | 1905 | a pejorative term for local and typically Democratic power structures that prevent outsiders from winning elections; first used by George Washington Plunkitt to criticize the Tammany Hall machine for which he served |
| political prisoner | 1864[133] | someone imprisoned for his political beliefs. Sample usage: Foreign leaders have objected to how political prisoners are being held in jail in D.C. in 2021 for many months without a trial, for their peaceful support of President Trump. |
| politically correct | 1983 | This term originated among radicals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to enforce radical orthodoxy, but immediately flipped in usage to become a term of mockery of radicals.[134] |
| politicize | 1846 | seeking political gain at the expense of truth or quality[135] |
| politics of envy | 2011 | used by Australian conservative Christopher Pine to describe the philosophy behind taking money from private schools and giving it to public ones. |
| poll watcher | 1890s | a volunteer who monitors traffic and identification verification at a polling booth in order to protect election integrity |
| Pollyanna | 1913 | a very optimistic, cheerful, and exuberant person who lights up the world around her; the main character in the best-selling children's book by that name written by Eleanor H. Porter (published in 1913) |
| poppycock | 1865 | assertions that are nonsense, as much of liberal talk is |
| portability | 1965 | the degree to which something—particularly software—may be easily moved with minimal expense from one technology platform to another; parables are effective because of their portability among languages |
| pork barrel | 1909 | government as a source of handouts that redistribute money from hard-working people to those who avoid work |
| post-abortive | 1986 | the unexpected trauma and physical harm—which can worsen over time—that is experienced by a woman after having an abortion; coined by Dr. Kaye Cash in an editorial describing what she learned during a 365-mile walk in southeast Arkansas to speak with the public about abortion[136] |
| Potemkin village | 1935 | a phony facade designed to distract the public from a disgraceful condition, typically used to describe deception by a government against the people |
| potential | 1817[137] | |
| pothead | 1959 | someone who smokes marijuana and doesn't realize its long-term negative psychological effects |
| potty-mouthed | 1987[138] | a tendency by someone to use vulgarities while commenting |
| powerhouse | 1881 | source of energy and strength - which is what the conservative movement is |
| price discrimination | 1920 | charging different prices for exactly the same service or good; first coined by the British economist (and critic of John Maynard Keynes) Arthur Cecil Pigou in The Economics of Welfare. |
| price fixing | 1920 | the setting of prices in interference of the free market; it is illegal for private companies to do this, but the government itself sometimes does it |
| prioritize | 1961 | to recognize that some goals and activities are more important than others, and then focus accordingly |
| private sector | 1952 | non-governmental businesses and jobs functioning in free enterprise |
| privatize | 1940 | to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize. |
| proactive | 1933 | |
| Procrustean | 1832 | a pejorative description of the one-size-fits-all mentality, which disregards individual differences |
| productive | 1612 | |
| productivity | 1810 | the gap of about 200 years between the creation of "productive" and "productivity" is astounding |
| pro-life | 1960 | describes one who supports women going through with having children rather than killing them in the womb |
| pronoun police | 2015 | a pejorative term popularized by Breitbart.com[139] |
| property right | 1853 | |
| provocateur | 1919 | someone who spends more time causing unproductive conflicts rather than advancing knowledge, accomplishing legitimate goals, or helping anyone |
| pseudoscience | 1844 | worthless claims written with the appearance of scientific rigor to gain an aura of credibility |
| public charge | 1880 | an official term used by the government to describe someone who depends on payments from the government |
| publicity stunt | 1969[140] | Used on April 10, 1969, by Republican Senators who withdrew from a tour and probe by Senator Ted Kennedy, criticizing him for his "publicity stunt" in preparation for his expected run for the presidency; the Chappaquiddick incident sunk his chances three months later. |
| puff piece | 1980s | a biased story by the lamestream media to promote someone who shares their Leftist views |
| punctual | 1675 | consistently showing up on time, rather than a disrespectful tardiness |
| quantify | 1840 | |
| quisling | 1940 | a traitor who collaborates with the enemy, from the name of Vidkun Quisling, the Norway army officer who urged Adolf Hitler to invade Norway whereupon Quisling declared himself the ruler and later became its "minister president" until it was liberated. |
| race card | 1995[141] | "Playing the race card" consists of relying on racial emotions or charges of racism in order to overcome the truth and logic in politics, legal proceedings, or otherwise; this term became familiar in the criticism of the defense and acquittal of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend. |
| reasonable doubt | 1770 | a Christian concept for the benefit of the souls of jurors, not the accused; first used in English by John Adams (before that, in canon law) in addressing the jury during his defense of the Boston Massacre perpetrators: "Where you are doubtful never act: that is, if you doubt of the prisoner's guilt, never declare him guilty; that is always the rule, especially in cases of life."[142] |
| rapture | 1629 | spiritual ecstasy [10] |
| recidivism | 1886 | the tendency for people lacking in faith and determination to revert to prior patterns of harmful behavior, such as repeat criminal offenders |
| recuse | 1949 | self-removal by a decision-maker (especially a judge) because of possible bias with respect to the pending issue |
| red diaper baby | 1960s[143] | child of American communists (typically born between 1940 and 1970), some of whom (such as David Horowitz) later converted to the side of liberty and conservatism. |
| red tape | 1736 | excessive bureaucracy and procedural complexity which frustrate meaningful activity and progress |
| refudiate | 2010 | combination of refute and repudiate, as coined by Sarah Palin |
| relativism | 1865 | the view that ethical truths are not absolute, but depend on the person or group that holds them |
| resourceful | 1808 | first used at the Aaron Burr trial with a negative connotation, but it acquired today's positive connotation by 1847. |
| responsibility | 1737 | the state of having a duty to do something, or being accountable or blamable for something; HAMILTON Federalist No. 63 (1988) II. 193 Responsibility in order to be reasonable must be limited to objects within the power of the responsible party. |
| rethink | 1700[144] | to reconsider, a sign of openmindedness |
| reverse discrimination | 1969 | the use of quotas or affirmative action to use race or gender to discriminate against a better-qualified person |
| revisionism | 1903[145] | distortions of history to promote liberal bias |
| revolving-door | 1973 | the liberal practice of repeatedly transferring into and out of government in a way that impedes progress and access by others, like the same people going round-and-round in a real revolving door |
| right-of-way | 1768 | a right to pass through, other rights notwithstanding |
| RINO | 1992 | First known use in print: "Bill Clinton would have been proud .... The Republicans were moving out and the Democrats and 'RINOs' (Republicans In Name Only) were moving in."[146] |
| RINO Backer | 2012 | a more important term than "RINO", because what matters most is whether someone will stand up for a conservative position and candidate when the liberal media demand that everyone flock to the liberal side. |
| riot act | 1715[147] | the Riot Act was a law passed in England in 1715 to authorize officials to disperse riots |
| risk averse | 1970s[148] | the antidote to gambling, being risk averse attains the immense benefits that result from minimizing uncertainty |
| Rock of Gibraltar | 1776 | unwavering strength amid adversity |
| Rogue state | 1993 | (Originally used in 1993 then reintroduced in 2002.) A 'rogue state' displays no regard for international law. It attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction and other military technology with which to threaten neighboring countries and support terrorism. Rogue states often reject human values and brutalize their own people. |
| role model | 1957 | someone, such as a parent, teacher, athlete, statesman, or any walk of life, who inspires others by their everyday conduct |
| rope-a-dope | 1974[149] | a strategy, first coined in boxing by the victorious Muhammad Ali of initially remaining passive and deflecting attacks while an adversary tires himself out or demonstrates his lack of effectiveness; some similarity with the New Testament advice to "turn the other cheek." |
| rubber-stamp | 1918 | unthinking repetition or endorsement of something, despite having the responsibility to make an independent decision, as in "Democrats rubber-stamp demands by the abortion industry." |
| rugged | 1897[150] | sample usage: "rugged individualism," which describes the American character |
| running start | 1926 | taking initiative earlier than required, in order to achieve more |
| run of the mill | 1930 | meaning "merely average, commonplace," the term is critical of a failure to strive for excellence |
| Ruthian | 1920s[151] | a spectacular performance in sports, like a mammoth home run by Babe Ruth |
| sacred cow | 1910 | a person or idea, typically liberal, that becomes immune from criticism because of its political usefulness rather than its truthfulness, as in the theories of evolution and relativity |
| salutary neglect | 1775 | coined by the conservative Edmund Burke in his 1775 speech to the British House of Commons entitled "On Moving His Resolutions for Conciliation with the Colonies"[152] |
| scam | 1963 | a deceptive scheme, which is what most liberal theories are. Interestingly, the origin of the term "scam" is unknown, but its timing near the beginning of the 1960s is telling. |
| scapegoating | 1943 | a term criticizing how people, particularly liberals, deflect accountability and blame from themselves to others; inspired by Leviticus 16:8. |
| school choice | 1980 | popularized by Milton Friedman in his book, Free to Choose |
| school of hard knocks | 1912[153] | education by difficult, painful experiences |
| scientific fascism | 2009 | a coordinated effort by a group of scientists to enforce a certain point of view upon others. |
| scofflaw | 1924 | a word invented by the best of the public as part of a contest to describe people who are contemptuous of laws and repeatedly violate them |
| scrooge | 1843[154] | a miserly person, the surname of the main character in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. |
| scrutinize | 1671 | its original meaning was to examine votes, and thus prevent liberal attempts at voter fraud |
| secularism | 1850-55 | attempts to educate, particularly through public school, without including faith or even acknowledgment of God |
| Segway | 2001 | Dean Kamen's trademark spelling of "segue" for use of Yankee Ingenuity to improve efficiency, to refer to a form of battery-powered transportation. |
| self-defense | 1651 | The ability to protect oneself against violent assault; weapons, including firearms, may be used for self-defense |
| self-destruct | 1968 | often the tragic result of liberal falsehoods |
| self-discipline | 1838 | |
| self-preservation | 1614 | preservation of oneself from destruction or harm |
| self-reliant | 1848 | |
| sheeple | 2017[155] | mindlessly doing as told politically or by peer pressure, as used by Dr. Ben Carson in 2022 to describe physicians who are complicit in transgender medical operations.[156] |
| shortsighted | 1649 | focusing too much on the near-term future, at the expense of the long-term future |
| separation of powers | 1748 | the fundamental principle of the U.S. Constitution, separation of powers originated from "The Spirit of the Laws" by the French political philosopher Montesquieu.[157] Separation of powers establishes checks and balances as a safeguard against the concentration of power. |
| shotgun marriage | 1929 | pregnancy => get married. Think of someone besides yourself for a change. |
| show trial | 1937 | trials, especially in communist countries, which have preordained outcomes but are used for propaganda purposes |
| sidewalk counseling | 1975 | the practice of volunteers exercising their right of free speech to advise women against abortion as they walk on sidewalks toward abortion clinics; liberals have passed laws to restrict and censor this |
| silent majority | 1969 | coined by President Richard Nixon in his speech to the nation on Nov. 3, 1969;[158] refers to the largely conservative population in America silenced by liberal media |
| silver lining | 1871 | a benefit that is not obvious to see, particularly amid a disappointment |
| skullduggery | 1867 | underhanded or unscrupulous behavior |
| silent majority | 1955[159] | a poetic term for those conservative Americans silenced by liberal media despite being greater in numbers; the term is a reminder not to give a heckler, a protester, or a vocal minority more deference than they deserve when the silent majority properly opposes their views |
| slippery slope | 1900s | term has been widely used for decades to expose the fallacy of "it doesn't hurt to try" |
| small beer | 1836 | coined by Davy Crockett to signify someone or something having little significance, despite hype typically by liberals |
| small talk | 1745 | inconsequential, shallow conversation that is usually a waste of time |
| small town values | 1984 | term was first used by Democrat John Glenn in his failed presidential run in 1984, in a futile effort to appear more conservative than Ronald Reagan |
| smoke and mirrors | 1979 | something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue.[160] Widely used during the 1990s to describe Bill Clinton's political strategy. |
| smoke-filled room | 1920 | a pejorative term describing how a few political insiders sometimes pick a candidate or make a decision in a secret room (in the old days, filled with cigar smoke) |
| smoking gun | 1974 | a law-and-order term, "smoking gun" was first used as a figurative term in a reported judicial decision in Rodgers v. United States Steel Corp., 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12775 (W.D. Pa. Apr. 20, 1975), and many literal uses of the term in court decisions before that! |
| soapbox | 1907 | staging for a typically liberal, unproductive rant having little substance |
| soccer mom | 1987 | a mother who devotes herself to her children's activities; this is a significant voting bloc or demographic group |
| social engineering | 1925 | an increasingly pejorative term for liberal attempts to create a "nanny state" |
| socialist | 1827 | someone who advocates government control over the economy, and particularly state control of the means of production |
| social justice rhetoric | 2009 | language and rhetorical ploys equating equality of outcome with justice |
| sophomoric | 1813 | pretending to know much, when in fact the person knows little and is even immature |
| soul-searching | 1924 | personal reflection about one's own values and morality |
| soup kitchen | 1839 | providing soup and other food to the poor based on charitable contributions, often through churches |
| sour grapes | 1760 | disparagement of something by someone who failed to attain it, rather than admitting his own faults |
| spend-and-tax | 2009[161] | a variation on "tax-and-spend" (see below), "spend-and-tax" consists of spending the money first and then trying to justify raising taxes based on the deficit created by the spending |
| spin doctor | 1984 | someone ensuring that others interpret an event from a particular point of view.[162] |
| sportsmanship | 1745 | displaying chivalry in victory or defeat, and recognizing that moral values matter more than a win or a loss |
| spot-on | 1949 | precisely correct, as in a prediction or in overcoming imprecision in a challenging task; its origin is from the military |
| squirrelly | 1928 | like a squirrel; jumpy and unpredictable; as in liberals get squirrelly when confronted with facts. |
| squish | 1981 | someone who pretends to be conservative when it is popular, but then caves into liberals as soon as they start to criticize him |
| stagflation | 1965 | inflation and high unemployment and stagnant demand by consumers, typically due to liberal policies as in the late 1970s under President Jimmy Carter |
| stalemate | 1765 | the fifth entry on this list from the conservative game of chess, a stalemate is when an opponent has no move other than into check, and thus the game ends in a draw |
| stalking horse | 1788 | a candidate or issue that serves to increase the chances that another will win, as in "antifederalists attempted to win elections by using 'the stalking horse of amendments.'"[163] |
| statism | 1919 | advocates for centralized government and government ownership |
| Statue of Liberty | 1900 | a phrase used to describe it more than a decade after its completion |
| status quo | 1833 | a useful baseline for assessing and promoting conservative growth |
| stay-at-home | 1806 | typically usage is "stay-at-home mom," the mainstay of successful, productive family life |
| stem-winder | 1875 | first-rate of its kind, especially a political speech; term inspired by the innovation for the watch to be wound by stem rather than by a key |
| straightforward | 1806 | something liberals are not |
| straw man | 1896 | an imaginary argument or example set up for the purpose of easily knocking down, while distracting from valid arguments |
| strategy | 1810 | a careful plan or method, the opposite of liberal style |
| street-smart | 1974 | the non-bookish intelligence necessary to survive and thrive in an unstructured, rough-and-tumble environment analogous to a tough neighborhood in a big city |
| Stupaked | 2010 | hurt by someone who reassured everyone he would do the right thing, but then switched at the last minute to do the opposite (refers especially to abortion betrayals)[164] |
| subsidiarity | 1936 | the concept (opposed by liberals) that responsibilities performed by local or subordinate organizations should not be usurped by centralized government |
| sugarcoat | 1865 | popularized by Abraham Lincoln to say that secession is a sugarcoated word for rebellion |
| Sunday school | 1783 | classes where students can actually learn something helpful: Christian education on Sunday morning, usually after a church service |
| supply-side | 1976 | the economic theory that reducing taxes expands economic activity by encouraging greater earnings and investments; proven successful during the Reagan Administration in the 1980s |
| survivalist | 1970 | one who is determined and prepared to stay alive, and even thrive at minimal living expense, if liberals cause a breakdown of society |
| take-charge | 1954 | proactive leadership for the greater good |
| takeover | 1917 | as in the takeover of government by the communist revolution in that year |
| takings | 1926[165] | use of the power of eminent domain by government to convert private property to a public use, typically disfavored by the property owner |
| targeted propaganda | 2023 | propaganda, particularly by the liberal media, that is tailored to discrediting one person, as explained by RFK Jr. while being victimized by it |
| tax-and-spend | 1937 | not yet recognized by Merriam-Webster, it is included in dictionary.com and it means the liberal policy of raising taxes and increasing government spending |
| taxpayer | 1816 | the word highlights who is really paying for things |
| tea party | 2007 | an amorphous group of ordinary citizens unified against a more expansive government |
| Tebowing | 2011 | bending on one knee in public to give glory to God (named after pro-life NFL quarterback Tim Tebow) |
| teetotaler | 1834 | someone who does not drink any alcohol, and thereby avoids supporting the alcoholic industry |
| term limits | 1861 | can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet? Merriam-Webster omits it, but dictionary.com has it[166] |
| terrorism | 1795 | Coined during the French Revolution, refers to any form of spontaneous extreme violence, mainly committed by Muslims in modern times |
| textualism | 1952 | first used by Justice Robert Jackson in his influential concurrence in Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952), it now describes the legal philosophy of Justice Antonin Scalia |
| Thanksgiving Day | 1674 | a tradition older than the United States |
| think tank | 1940s | first coined in Britain to describe intelligence organizations that helped the military, think tanks became part of the rise of conservatism in the 1970s and 1980s; is Conservapedia the think tank of the future? |
| thought police | 1949 | “The most gifted of [the public], who might possibly become a nuclei of discontent, are simply marked down by the Thought Police and eliminated.” - George Orwell, 1984. |
| time sink | 1991 | this term originated at MIT to describe a programming class that consumed enormous amounts of students' time |
| time-tested | 1930 | an approach that has proven to be beneficial over time, like heterosexual marriage |
| tin-pot | 1838 | small-minded person who undeservedly pretends to be important or abuses his power, as in a "tin-pot dictator" |
| toady | 1826 | an insincere sycophant seeking personal gain, as in "toadies to the liberal agenda far outnumber its true believers" |
| top-notch | 1900 | the highest quality, which requires respect for merit to recognize |
| tort reform | 1970[167] | a movement placing sensible limits on runaway liberal lawsuits |
| totalitarianism | 1926 | term which identifies the similarities of fascist and communist regimes and ideologies and urges resistance |
| tour de force | 1802 | a feat of skill |
| trademark | 1838 | extends the concept of private property to the marks used by business |
| traditionalist | 1856 | "adherence to the doctrines or practices of a tradition...the beliefs of those opposed to modernism, liberalism, or radicalism"[168] |
| tradwife | 2020 | portmanteau of "traditional wife": an embrace of the traditional role of a wife in the 1950s as a homemaker, who rejects the side of feminism that is man-hating[169] |
| transaction cost | 1961 | Economist Ronald Coase won a Nobel Prize for this. |
| transistor | 1948 | named by John R. Pierce and developed at the conservative Bell Labs, this invention epitomized Yankee ingenuity; Pierce was a critic of claims of artificial intelligence and was the future developer of Telstar, a precursor to the Strategic Defense Initiative |
| transparency | 1615 | allowing people who are affected by decisions to see how and why those decisions are really being made. |
| tree huggers | 1970s | still not recognized by the dictionary, this term criticizes extreme environmentalists, but they proudly use the term also to describe what they literally do |
| trivia | 1920 | insignificant detail, which can sometimes obscure what is important and distract people from the Bible; liberal Wikipedia is filled with trivial junk |
| Trojan horse | 1837 | describes a type of liberal deceit: subversion from within |
| Trump Derangement Syndrome | 2017 | an irrational, hysterical opposition to President Donald Trump simply because he is Donald Trump |
| Trump effect | 2016 | based on the leadership of Donald Trump, voluntary decisions by American companies to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States rather than move them offshore |
| trust but verify | 1980s | popularized by President Ronald Reagan as the approach to use towards communist deceit |
| two-party system | 1925 | a system of government and politics in which two political parties of roughly comparable strength dominate, as in the United States |
| typewriter | 1868 | invented by a homeschooled American, Christopher Sholes, used to disseminate conservative insights |
| ugly duckling | 1883 | an unpromising appearance but often with great unseen potential |
| ultra vires | 1793 | beyond the authority, especially of a government or corporate official |
| un-American | 1818 | contrary to American values |
| unborn child | 1791 | the rights of the unborn child have been recognized in English law since the 1600s, but the specific term "unborn child" itself may have been first used by an attorney arguing before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Den v. Sparks, 1 N.J.L. 67 (Sup. Ct. 1791) |
| uncertainty principle | 1929 | an underlying chaos (uncertainty) at the atomic level in the physical world after the Fall of man, which renders a perpetual motion machine and life beyond 120 years impossible |
| underachiever | 1952 | a typically liberal person who fails to accomplish what he could |
| underdog | 1859 | David v. Goliath, Cinderella, best of the public, etc. |
| underemployed | 1908 | having less than full-time or suitable employment |
| underwater basket weaving | 1950s | A pejorative that describes worthless college courses and a declining educational system; see Worst College Majors. |
| underwhelm | 1949 | a great word for beating back liberal hype |
| unforced error | 1995[170] | |
| uniparty | 1953[171] | The DC establishment of Democrats and Republicans funded by the same globalist and multinational donors.[172] |
| unscripted | 1950 | speaking sincerely without parroting a script; "Rand Paul and Chris Christie are effective because, unlike Obama, they are unscripted." |
| unsung hero | 1860 | someone who accomplishes good without receiving recognition for it |
| useful idiot | 1920[173] | Sample usage: "There are not as many useful idiots on college campuses for the Obama reelection campaign in 2012 as there were in 2008, and it's doubtful he can fill a stadium rally unless the campaign pays students to attend." |
| vaccine police | 1999 | popularized by Phyllis Schlafly as first cited by the media in a front-page Philadelphia Inquirer article, which quoted her for saying "that the 'vaccine police' want to deny American parents the right of informed consent to vaccines and that the personal immunization records kept by states are the first step toward 'compulsory control of individual health care.'"[174] |
| vacuous | 1850s[175] | lacking any insight or depth of thought - common among liberal claptrap |
| vandalism | 1798[176] | malicious destruction of someone else's property |
| vaporware | 1984 | a new computer program that is not really available as hyped in the media; see also the parable of the two sons at Matthew 21:28-32 |
| venture capital | 1943 | capitalism at its best: funding new and risky enterprises to create wealth for many |
| veracity | 1623 | devotion to truthfulness |
| vet | 1904[177] | a verb meaning to screen for flaws |
| veto | 1629 | a power by one branch of government to restrain another branch, and thereby attain less government overall |
| victimization | 1840 | |
| volunteer | 1618 | someone who freely offers to help |
| wag the dog | 1997 | describes how a Democrat president starts a war in a distant land to distract from his own sex scandal (or any popularity) at home. |
| wannabe | 1981 | a word that criticizes liberal status worship |
| War on Terror | 2001 | no listing at Merriam-Webster; on February 2, 2009 (less than two weeks after inauguration), Obama dropped use of this term.[178] |
| washed-up | 1928 | no longer productive, as in "the washed-up liberal professor has not contributed anything to his field in 30 years." |
| wasteland | 1825 | first figurative use was in 1868; T.S. Eliot wrote a poem with this title (as two words) in 1922.[179] Fits perfectly the meaning conveyed in the "kingdom divided" teaching in Matthew 12:25. |
| waterloo | 1816 | a final defeat or setback, coined merely one year after the English defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo; there has never been a "waterloo" for Christianity or conservatism |
| weasel word | 1900[180] | a word that is not conservative and which avoids being direct or substantive; named after the weasel's habits as criticized by Shakespeare in Henry V and As You Like It. |
| Welfare queen | 1976 | a disparaging term for someone who collects excessive welfare payments through fraud, manipulation, or laziness. First used by Ronald Reagan during his 1976 Presidential campaign. |
| welfare state | 1941 | a government that views its primary responsibility to be to give handouts to individuals to make sure they have what they need |
| white elephant | 1860 | an oversized building that is worth less than its high costs of maintenance |
| wildcatter | 1883 | a pro-energy term that describes someone who drills for oil in fields not known to have oil |
| wishful thinking | 1925 | in liberal denial of evil and the devil, liberals engage in unjustified wishful thinking |
| wishy-washy | 1873[181] | easily changing in opinion, usually due to peer pressure |
| woman's intuition | 1890[182] | a perception more common in women that something or someone is to be avoided without yet understanding why. |
| word poverty | 2001[183] | popularized by President George W. Bush |
| wordsmith | 1873 | someone who seeks to use language effectively, as many conservatives strive to do |
| work (physical sense) | 1826 | a physical measure[184] of effort used to increase energy |
| work ethic | 1951 | a habit of working as a moral good |
| workaholic | 1968 | coined by a Southern Baptist pastor to describe the work habits of himself and other ministers[185] |
| worldview | 1858 | a comprehensive way of looking at life and the world; sometimes used to criticize a liberal's irrational belief system |
| Yankee | 1758 | Inhabitants of New England, United States. Dutch slang in 1698- Americanized 50 years later. |
| Yankee Ingenuity | 1761 | America's inhabitants had a knack for clever design and capitalist success. The early Americans had applied their exceptional skills prior to the terms existence, see Eli Whitney and Benjamin Franklin. |
| yellow journalism | 1898 | the practice, started by newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and his rival William Randolph Hearst, of sensationalizing and biasing newspaper headlines and articles in order to influence public opinion |
| yes-man | 1913 | someone, often a liberal, who agrees (and votes) as he is told |
| Young Turk | 1908 | an idealistic young man who seeks significant political change by defeating the Establishment |
| zero-sum | 1944 | activities or political approaches in which a gain can only be achieved at a corresponding loss to someone else. For example, Facebook revenue is "zero-sum" because it results from users wasting their time (or ruining their marriages); reading or translating the Bible is not zero-sum. |
| ziggurat | 1877 | an ancient house of worship first constructed by the Mesopotamian civilization; predicted by Biblical scientific foreknowledge in the story of the Tower of Babel, the existence of the ziggurats was unknown to the Western world throughout most of history |
Sources
See also
- Conservative Words Not Yet Recognized by the Dictionary
- Downgraded Conservative Terms
- Essay:New Liberal Terms
- Essay:Surprising Dates of Origin for Terms
- Linguistic Analysis of Candidates
- Essay:Conservapedia's Law
- Secularized Language
- Terms Difficult to Classify
- Language: Etymology, Vocabulary, Word
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References
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8013859.stm
- ↑ The King James Version of the Bible was published in 1611, by then William Shakespeare had written nearly all his plays.
- ↑ From Pollard v. Shaaffer, 1 U.S. 210, 213 (1 Dall. 210) (Pa. S.Ct. 1787): "In the case before the court, if the lessee had covenanted for himself and his assigns, to deliver up the tenements in good order and repair, notwithstanding they should be destroyed by act of God or of an Enemy, then this action would certainly lie, because of the special express words; but when there are no such words, but only generally to repair &c. would it be reasonable to construe these words so as to extend to the cases put?"
- ↑ Merriam-Webster asserts a date of origin of 1635 in its online version [1], but 1859 in its 10th edition print version.
- ↑ See, e.g., Jesus's cure of the centurion's slave.
- ↑ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/newton-philosophy/#ActDis
- ↑ The title of a book: "The Administrative State" by Dwight Waldo (1948).
- ↑ http://www.christianadvice.net/famous_christians.htm
- ↑ The concept originated a bit earlier, but its first best articulation was when a federal court recognized that "agency capture" is "where the regulated become the regulators." Huron Valley Hospital, Inc. v. Pontiac, 612 F. Supp. 654, 663 (E.D. Mich. 1985).
- ↑ 1911 is the date given by the "OED", which refers to the Oxford English Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives a date of 1931.
- ↑ Christianity Today
- ↑ Merriam-webster- Apple pie
- ↑ estimate only; this originated sometime in the late 1880s.
- ↑ http://www.help4teachers.com/ras.htm
- ↑ A more precise date is welcome; "Austrian school" was coined a bit earlier, initially as a derisive term.
- ↑ Baby boomer phrases.org.uk, retrieved August 30, 2012
- ↑ Newsroom: Facts for Features - Special Edition - The Oldest Baby Boomers Turn 60!
- ↑ Citizen Patriot of Jackson, Michigan, “Albion,” pg. 6, (Nov. 21, 1903)
- ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bedrock
- ↑ http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-greg-laurie-i-hate-the-word-homophobic-83209/
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bigly
- ↑ First coined by Phyllis Schlafly in A Choice Not an Echo (1964) as "DeBilderbergers" based on the Dutch origin of the name.
- ↑ Or "Blame-America-First Crowd"
- ↑ http://www.creators.com/opinion/michael-barone/the-blame-america-first-crowd.html
- ↑ Estimate for the emergence in popularity of this meaning of the term.
- ↑ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=boondoggle&searchmode=none
- ↑ The original usage of the term the "bottom line" had nothing to do with money.
- ↑ First used by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Harlan II in United States v. Jorn, 400 U.S. 470, 486 (1971), where he rejected adopting a bright-line rule for that case.
- ↑ Its figurative meaning probably dates from the late 1800s.
- ↑ https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=bubble
- ↑ https://www.wordsense.eu/buycott/
- ↑ according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Miram-webster gives the date of 1945
- ↑ named after the upset landslide defeat of the House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in his own primary. Made popular by Sarah Palin on national television in 2016 by declaring that she will campaign against Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in his primary.
- ↑ First use found by Conservapedia was in an article describing a controversy in communist Yugoslavia over their "career politicians," published in the New York Times and authored by Malcolm W. Browne, sect. 4, p. 3, col. 1.
- ↑ The future author of the Massachusetts Constitution who also played a role in developing the Declaration of Independence.
- ↑ William Safire popularized this word in his regular New York Times column entitledOn Language (March 8, 1987).
- ↑ From Get Smart in the late 1960s:
Mr. DON ADAMS: Sorry about that, chief. That's another case.
Ms. BARBARA FELDON: Who is that?
Mr. ADAMS: George Robinson, Chaos agent, Hawaiian branch.
Ms. FELDON: Fabulous disguise. - ↑ First usage as a verb then, see https://www.etymonline.com/word/checkmate
- ↑ In characteristically liberal style, the online Merriam-Webster spins the global warming example usage by saying the data showed he wasn't a Chicken Little.
- ↑ Popularized by the bestselling book entitled "A Choice Not An Echo" by Phyllis Schlafly in 1964.
- ↑ Speech in the House by Abraham Lincoln on July 27, 1848.
- ↑ http://www.worldwar2history.info/war/causes/Cold-War.html
- ↑ "[T]his is one of those rare cases when the [Oxford English Dictionary] gets something wrong. America, not Britain, deserves credit for inventing the word. Jacob Wagner, a Massachusetts federalist, first used conservative in its modern political sense in a letter dated May 13, 1808." David Lefer, The Founding Conservatives, page 5 (2013).
- ↑ The mathematical definition of a conservative field -- which arises in multivariable calculus -- is that a scalar potential exists for the function and, alternatively, it is irrotational.
- ↑ First coined by Cambridge University Professor Alfred Marshall in his acclaimed text, Principles of Economics (1890).
- ↑ http://www.scientus.org/Church-Science-History.html
- ↑ Merriam-Webster officially lists its date of origin as 1919 and its source as unknown, but that is well after when Robinson says he developed it.
- ↑ Free Enter. Fund v. Pub. Co. Accounting Oversight Bd., 130 S. Ct. 3138, 3163 (2010) (5-4 decision).
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801716.html
- ↑ Confirmation of the first use is desired.
- ↑ See Dr. Frank Luntz, Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
- ↑ https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/01/28/joke-is-on-the-teller-greg-gutfeld-calls-out-snl-over-embarrassing-trump-de-bank-skit-1431804/
- ↑ Introduction to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (19th Ed. 2000), xxv.
- ↑ Jones v. McMasters, 61 U.S. (20 How.) 8 (1858). An earlier use of 1800 is cited by Merriam-Webster but for a different, non-legal meaning.
- ↑ https://www.oed.com/dictionary/detransition_v?tl=true#:~:text=The%20earliest%20known%20use%20of,de%2D%20prefix%2C%20transition%20v.
- ↑ Originally "duh!" science: "But couldn't we have been treated to just a soupcon of critical thinking, some irony even -- perhaps a glancing reference to the wisdom of public funding for 'duh!' science?" "L.A. TIMES WHO KNEW? DEPARTMENT", LA Weekly p. 12 (Jan. 14, 2000).
- ↑ Phil Long, "Special Wing for Drunks Suggested at Future Jail," Miami Herald D1 (Nov. 24, 1982).
- ↑ Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (1994).
- ↑ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary (2009).
- ↑ After popular use, in 1885 the Magazine of American History wrote, "'To eat crow' means to recant, or to to humiliate oneself."
- ↑ Merriam-Webster (1994).
- ↑ Online Etymological Dictionary
- ↑ http://www.archive.org/stream/circular129johnuoft/circular129johnuoft_djvu.txt
- ↑ The first endoscopic image of the unborn child was in 1967, by Mandelbaum. The date of origin of the term "embryoscopy" may have been later, but likely before the 1990s.
- ↑ http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/5/2/3/4/p152345_index.html
- ↑ http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/annals.htm
- ↑ 1845 is the date of origin for the figurative use. The literal use dates back to 1650s, meaning the front of a building.
- ↑ The term was used by liberals in late 2016, and had sporadic use going back even as early as the 1890s, but did not become common until 2017 when President Trump began using it.
- ↑ First coined by The Economist, in "New England's governors; All change" (September 22, 1990), in reference to Lowell Weicker's "loss in 1988 to a Faux-conservative Democrat, Mr Joseph Lieberman."
- ↑ The New York Times attributed the first use -- ironically -- to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
- ↑ http://www.benjaminfedwards.com/blog/?p=197
- ↑ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/07/12/fleebaggers-a-history-of-democrats-running-away-to-deny-a-quorum/
- ↑ Religious Affiliation of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, Adherents.com
- ↑ http://www.allbusiness.com/information/publishing-industries/251259-1.html
- ↑ https://www.etymonline.com/word/glasnost
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/globalism
- ↑ http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50095613/50095613se2?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=globalism&first=1&max_to_show=10&hilite=50095613se2
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/place/Midwest
- ↑ See Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, 129 S. Ct. 1125 (2009); see also Child Evangelism Fellowship of N.J., Inc. v. Stafford Twp. Sch. Dist., 386 F.3d 514 (3rd Cir. 2004).
- ↑ Good News Club v. Milford Cent. Sch., 533 U.S. 98 (2001)
- ↑ The use of the term was picked up and repeated in a movie released in 1989, When Harry Met Sally (1989).
- ↑ this term has the entertaining history of originating with an English liveryman who required customers to "choose" the horse closest to the door.
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokum
- ↑ Dictionary.com estimates the first use as being at 1855-60
- ↑ the OED assigns a date of origin of 1850 to "homeschool".
- ↑ Meriam Webster Dictionary
- ↑ Date of origin given by the Online Etymology Dictionary; Merriam-Webster cites an earlier date of origin, perhaps with a narrower meaning.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/19/magazine/on-language-inside-baseball.html (popularized in the 1970s, but a date of origin earlier in the 1900s is likely)
- ↑ A few isolated references to this phrase, without its full current significance, can be found dating back to the mid-1800s
- ↑ http://biologos.org/resources/johnson-phillip-e
- ↑ Merriam-Webster (1994).
- ↑ Alan Turing reportedly used the term for a completely different meaning that went nowhere. [2]
- ↑ http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/278089
- ↑ United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218 (1967).
- ↑ Osage Tribe of Indians v. Ickes, 45 F. Supp. 179, 184-85 (D.D.C. 1942) (emphasis added).
- ↑ A similar yet different concept, "judicial supremacy," was coined by conservative Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson as the title of his book, The Struggle for Judicial Supremacy: A Study of a Crisis in American Political Power (New York: Knopf, 1941).
- ↑ http://rated.com/dir/Society/Issues/Environment/Opposing_Views/Junk_Science
- ↑ Killjoy 1776 Mer-Web
- ↑ First known use was in an article by Tom Zito, "Mr. Mike's Mania; Sick Humor, Very Well Indulged," Washington Post F1 (Nov. 8, 1979): "But now, it's off to La-La land, and his movie deal. 'The thing about Southern Californians,' he says, 'is this: They wake up and say, 'Gee, what a wonderful morning. I think I'll make a salad.' And that takes them the whole day. ..."
- ↑ https://www.etymonline.com/word/lapdog (quoting AP news story of Aug. 7, 1950)
- ↑ Its first use was in 1975, but in a very difference sense of describing more litigation in the Western than the Eastern part of the world.
- ↑ The High Price of Democrats’ Anti-Trump Lawfare, By Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal, March 13, 2024.
- ↑ This date refers to its first usage as a noun, which is an estimate of its adoption as a concept.
- ↑ Lone wolf, Merriam-Webster
- ↑ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=lunatic
- ↑ https://politicsandinsights.org/tag/adam-smith-institute/
- ↑ This was during the epic struggle -- and defeat -- of the so-called Equal Rights Amendment.
- ↑ Sunday, Oct. 30, 1983, Section 6, Page 12, Column 3.
- ↑ Coined as the title of a scholarly article by Francis M. Bator, "The Anatomy of Market Failure," The Quarterly Journal of Economics (1958) [3]
- ↑ http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Media_bullying&oldid=430831 (Apr. 14, 2008)
- ↑ Merriam-Webster dictionary (1994)
- ↑ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3300/3300-h/3300-h.htm
- ↑ Merriam-Webster - Muckraker
- ↑ In 1726, poet Henry Carey first coined this term to ridicule rival poet Ambrose Philips, whose verses were unsophisticated. The modern meaning of the term developed a bit later.
- ↑ Leo Ryan, "Economy Shored up: France's new surge of liberalism," The Globe and Mail (Canada) (Aug. 1, 1978)
- ↑ By Thomas Dahlberg and Erick Kaardal (Vision Series: 2012).
- ↑ Used by the state attorneys for West Virginia (including Philip Steptoe, founder of Steptoe & Johnson) in Pennsylvania v. West Virginia, 262 U.S. 553 (1923): "It is not the 'subject of judicial cognizance,' Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1, 15; Louisiana v. Texas, 176 U.S 1, 15; Missouri v. Illinois, 180 U.S. 208, 233, or 'susceptible of judicial solution.' Louisiana v. Texas, 176 U.S. 1, 18, 22; Missouri v. Illinois, 180 U.S. 208, 233, 234."
- ↑ First attributed use is by Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons, who used the term to disparage minor celebrities.
- ↑ William Safire, in Safire's Political Dictionary (p. 487), attributes this phrase to Casey in a personal discussion with the columnist Safire in 1980.
- ↑ Was there an earlier conservative use? Frank Zappa's album cover in the 1970s does not count!
- ↑ http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/1996/dec96/er-dec96.html
- ↑ http://platform.gop.com/2008Platform.pdf
- ↑ http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/covid-19-the-chinese-military-and-maj-gen-chen-wei/
- ↑ http://www.ntu.org/main/press.php?PressID=604
- ↑ started its sharp increase in usage in this year
- ↑ Used by congressman Charles Canady to name the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act" to prohibit the horrific procedure.
- ↑ Charles A. Beard is best known for interpreting the Constitution as being primarily motivated by economic interests.
- ↑ Personhood Dictionary.com
- ↑ This surprisingly recent origin appears to be derived from a British confidence game.
- ↑ A letter to the editor by a reader of the liberal Chicago Tribune observed, "This is the third time in recent weeks that a weird or disfigured picture of Mr. Quayle has appeared in your Sunday paper."
- ↑ Scheetz, George H. "Peoria." In Place Names in the Midwestern United States. Edited by Edward Callary. (Studies in Onomastics; 1.) Mellen Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7734-7723-3
- ↑ Free dictionary gives a range of 1745-1755 for first usage
- ↑ Apparently coined as part of a history of the Civil War.
- ↑ For an early different usage of the word, see J. Wilson, comments in U.S. Republic, 1793: "The states, rather than the people, for whose sake the states exist, are frequently the objects which attract and arrest our principal attention... 'The United States', instead of the 'People of the United States', is the toast given. This is not politically correct." [4]
- ↑ The Merriam-Webster definition (1994 ed.) is incomplete and unclear: "to give a political tone or character to"
- ↑ Editorial by Kaye Cash, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR), October 23, 1986.
- ↑ Usage here refers to "promise", not "possibility".
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potty-mouthed
- ↑ https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2015/04/28/bruce-jenner-and-the-pronoun-police/
- ↑ Earlier usage in the 1900s may have occurred, but the term "stunt" was not coined until 1878.
- ↑ This is the date of its widespread familiarity.
- ↑ http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=fss_papers
- ↑ https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/60/messages/606.html
- ↑ Date of origin given by the 10th Edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary; its online dictionary has an earlier date.
- ↑ The first use of this term, now obscure, refers to a Marxist movement that preferred evolutionary rather than revolutionary change.
- ↑ John DiStaso in the conservative New Hampshire Union Leader, in December 1992 shortly after Clinton's election.
- ↑ Its colloquial use, as in "read them the riot act," began in 1819.
- ↑ Its first use in a published law review article or court decision was in Joint Committees as an Alternative Form of Arbitration Under the NLRA, 47 Tul. L. Rev. 325 (Feb. 1973).
- ↑ Coined by Muhammad Ali immediately after he won a stunning upset in his famous boxing match, "The Rumble in the Jungle," on October 30, 1974. Hot Idioms
- ↑ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=rugged
- ↑ First used by The New York Tribune. [5]
- ↑ http://www.archive.org/stream/burkesspeechonco00burkuoft/burkesspeechonco00burkuoft_djvu.txt
- ↑ coined by George Ade, a popular Midwestern columnist and author, in his book "Knocking the Neighbors": [6]
- ↑ Popularized as a general term in 1899.
- ↑ Officially recognized by Merriam-Webster in 2017 with its broad ideological meaning; earliest isolated use was in 1945 to refer to mindlessly following the government. [7]
- ↑ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/ben-carson-adamantly-refuse-child-sex-changes-hippocratic-oath
- ↑ http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/separation-of-powers.aspx
- ↑ http://watergate.info/nixon/silent-majority-speech-1969.shtml
- ↑ first use was British but the term was popularized by the Nixon Administration in response to protests against the Vietnam War
- ↑ Smoke and Mirrors, Merriam-Webster
- ↑ http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/02/morning-bell-the-obama-tax-and-spend-economy-is-here/
- ↑ General Petraeus describes Axelrod by Bob Woodward
- ↑ Centinel, 1788 (quoted in The Federalist party in Massachusetts to the year 1800, By Anson Ely Morse).
- ↑ Columnist Kathleen Parker is credited with first coining this term.
- ↑ Marion & R. V. R. Co. v. United States, 270 U.S. 280, 285 (1926) (the Supreme Court referring for the first time to "takings by eminent domain")
- ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/term+limit
- ↑ http://faculty.lls.edu/workshops/documents/nockleby.pdf (citing the late 1960s and 1970s for the beginning of the movement)
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traditionalist
- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/us/tradwife-1950s-nostalgia-tiktok-cec/index.html
- ↑ Christine Wallace, "Coalition needs a new partner," Australian Financial Review p. 17 (May 15, 1995) ("John Howard's unforced error in a pre-recorded interview [was] to tell ABC-TV's Paul Lyneham that things would only be 'cooking with gas' if variable mortgage rates began to fall, when precisely that happened in between recording the interview and it going to air, [and this] is a gift to Labor with an election in sight ....") |incorporated into politics from tennis, this term means an unnecessary mistake that was not caused by a difficult question or conduct by the other side.
- ↑ Originally applied to the "Solid South", it increasingly was applied to both parties with growth of the military industrial complex in the 1960s.
- ↑ https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/12/23/report-rnc-corporation-has-lowest-on-hand-bank-funds-since-2016/
- ↑ Attributed originally to Lenin, but since used by others like Nobel Prize winner (Literature) Doris Lessing to describe how she was manipulated by the communists: “I was taken around and shown things as a ‘useful idiot’... that’s what my role was. I can’t understand why I was so gullible.” [8]
- ↑ Huntly Collins, "LIFE GIVER OR LIFE TAKER: A DEBATE ON THE VALUE OF VACCINES, SPECIAL REPORT, IMMUNIZATIONS: A PUBLIC-HEALTH STAPLE COMES UNDER SIEGE," Philadelphia Inquirer A1 (Oct. 3, 1999).
- ↑ This word as a prior date of origin for its physical meaning.
- ↑ From the French word "vandalisme", first seen in print there in 1794 by the Bishop of Blois, Henri Grégoire, to criticize the senseless destruction of fine art during the French Revolution. [9]
- ↑ http://www.slate.com/id/2199254/?from=rss
- ↑ Obama administration drops 'war on terror' phrase Pew Forum, February 2, 2009
- ↑ https://www.etymonline.com/word/wasteland
- ↑ The Stained-Glass Political Platform, by Stewart Chaplin (1900)
- ↑ An archaic meaning of poor quality dates to 1690.
- ↑ Notice how this predates the modern feminists, who would tend to consider this term politically incorrect.
- ↑ http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/summer2001/lang_gap_moats.html
- ↑ Work equals force times distance.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/02/magazine/the-lives-they-lived-on-language-wordplayers.html