English Explanatory Dictionary

like turkeys voting for Christmas

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action.

Pronunciation

/laɪk ˌtɜːkiz ˈvəʊtɪŋ fə ˈkɹɪsməs/ /laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ ˈkɹɪsməs/ [-ɾɪŋ-] En-au-like turkeys voting for Christmas.ogg

Word forms

like turkeys voting for Christmas a turkey voting for Christmas

Etymology

Because turkeys are commonly eaten at Christmas, turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas would be hastening their own death. The phrase is thought to have been coined by the British Liberal Party politician David Penhaligon (1944–1986) who used it to express opposition to the 1977 Lib–Lab pact. It was popularized by the British Prime Minister James Callaghan (1912–2005) who used it in the House of Commons in March 1979 when his Labour Party lost a vote of no confidence: see the 1977 and 1979 quotations.

Synonyms

like turkeys voting for an early Christmas

Related words

chickens for Colonel Sanders cut off one's nose to spite one's face dig a hole for oneself dig one's own grave hoist by one's own petard Leopards Eating People's Faces Party own goal rod for one's back saw off the branch one is sitting on shoot oneself in the foot
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