like turkeys voting for Christmas
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like turkeys voting for Christmas
- /laɪk ˌtɜːkiz ˈvəʊtɪŋ fə ˈkɹɪsməs/ UK
- /laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ ˈkɹɪsməs/ US
- [-ɾɪŋ-] US
Rhymes with -ɪsməs
Where it comes from
Because turkeys are commonly eaten at Christmas, turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas would be hastening their own death. The phrase is thought to have been coined by the British Liberal Party politician David Penhaligon (1944–1986) who used it to express opposition to the 1977 Lib–Lab pact. It was popularized by the British Prime Minister James Callaghan (1912–2005) who used it in the House of Commons in March 1979 when his Labour Party lost a vote of no confidence: see the 1977 and 1979 quotations.
phrase a turkey voting for Christmas
- Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action. The next morning [14 December 1977] the Liberals held a two-and-a-half meeting at which Steel let them have their head. Only two MPs, Howells and Johnston, said they were willing to continue the Pact. The opponents were delighted. […] ‘Us voting for the Pact is like a turkey voting for Christmas’, s
Translations
Every language
phrase of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer
| Español | estar cavando su propia sepultura, estar cavando su sepultura |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 크리스마스에 찬성하는 칠면조떼 keuriseumaseue chanseonghaneun chilmyeonjotte |
| Français | scier la branche sur laquelle on est assis, se tirer une balle dans le pied |
| Italiano | darsi la zappa sui piedi |
Talk about this word "like turkeys voting for Christmas." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/like%20turkeys%20voting%20for%20christmas. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. like turkeys voting for Christmas. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/like%20turkeys%20voting%20for%20christmas "like turkeys voting for Christmas." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/like%20turkeys%20voting%20for%20christmas.Cite this
@misc{like_turkeys_voting_for_christmas_2026,
title = {like turkeys voting for Christmas},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/like%20turkeys%20voting%20for%20christmas},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
