A.Word.A.Day--horse race

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Jun 25, 2019

This week’s theme
Words originating in horses

This week’s words
hippodrome
horse race

Why horse racing is wrong

Photo: Mike LaChance

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

horse race

PRONUNCIATION:

(HORS rays)

MEANING:

noun:
1. The treating of a contest, especially an election, as if a sport, focusing on polls, perceptions, etc., instead of substantive issues, such as policies.
2. A close contest.

ETYMOLOGY:

From horse, from Old English hors + race, from Old Norse (ras). Earliest documented use: 1586.

USAGE:

“The natural interest in the horse race of politics makes it easy to overlook the problems for both sides this week with the detail of what they offer Australian voters.”
David Crowe; Doughnut Election; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Apr 12, 2019.

See more usage examples of horse race in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

In our age there is no such thing as "keeping out of politics". All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. -George Orwell, novelist (25 Jun 1903-1950)

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