champagne socialist en · NOUN
Etymology
From the association of champagne with upper social classes.
Meanings
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(derogatory, sarcastic) A person adhering to socialism or supporting socialist policies while enjoying a lifestyle that is ostensibly in conflict with their political beliefs, or whose status would shield them from negative consequences of said policies.
People deploy the phrase 'Champagne socialist' a lot online. They smirk at their computer screens, shrewdly slipping around comment boards imploding egalitarian arguments with a single phrase.
2015 March 3, wrightismight [username], “The 'Champagne Socialist' Fallacy”, in Blue Labyrinths, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2015:Being soft on crime is fashionable among champagne socialists. Within their circles, there are few easier ways to win social clout than to declare that the police ought to be literally abolished, or to rhapsodize that what criminals need, more than anything else, is more leniency and understanding.
2022 January 12, Adam Zivo, “In the U.S., champagne socialists pursue soft-on-crime policies at the expense of vulnerable communities”, in National Post, archived from the original on 12 Jan 2022:As a consequence of these opinions, a close friend calls me a champagne socialist. He says I’m conflicted and self-contradictory. He mock-quotes me with "redistribute wealth, just not mine."
2024 March 12, Philip Beasley, “Maybe I am a Champagne Socialist, but I am not conflicted”, in Medium, archived from the original on 16 Jan 2026:"The champagne socialist wants everybody to be equal upon the higher plane that suits him, utterly ignoring the fact that there are not enough champagne, green turtle, and truffles to go round."
1906, George Cary Eggleston, Blind Alleys, Boston: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., page 206:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| champagne socialists | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
liberal elite · steak commando · hypocrite · champagne socialism · limousine liberal
Synonyms
Gucci socialist · silver-spoon socialist · chardonnay socialist · café revolutionary · smoked salmon socialist · gauche caviar · parlor pink
Translations (30)
es red set (Translations) · nl salonsocialist (Translations) · nl salonsocialiste (Translations) · nl kathedersocialist (Translations) · es pijoprogre (Translations) · fr gauche caviar (Translations) · de Cüpli-Sozialist (Translations) · fi salonkisosialisti (Translations) · es zurdo con OSDE (Translations) · pt esquerda caviar (Translations) · de Salonsozialist (Translations) · sv rödvinsvänster (Translations) · es izquierda caviar (Translations) · de Salonsozialistin (Translations) · es progre-caviar (Translations) · da champagnesocialist (Translations) · pl kawiorowa lewica (Translations) · de Cüplisozialist (Translations) · ko 강남좌파 (Translations) · de Toskana-Fraktion (Translations) · da kystbanesocialist (Translations) · da rødvinssocialist (Translations) · de Cüpli-Sozialistin (Translations) · cmn 香檳酒社會主義者 /香槟酒社会主义者 (Translations) · fi samppanjasosialisti (Translations) · cmn 江南左派 (Translations) · de Cüplisozialistin (Translations) · pt socialista de iPhone (Translations) · nl kathedersocialiste (Translations) · es whisquierda (Translations)