Dictionary

like turkeys voting for Christmas en · X

Pronunciation

• /laɪk ˌtɝkiz ˈvoʊtɪŋ fɚ ˈkɹɪsməs/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• [-ɾɪŋ-] (General-American)
• /laɪk ˌtɜːkiz ˈvəʊtɪŋ fə ˈkɹɪsməs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

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.

Meanings

1. (UK, humorous, of an action, qualifier:simile) 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’, said David Penhaligon [1977 December 14, Alistair Michie, Simon Hoggart, “The Wispy Beards Strike Back”, in The Pact: The Inside Story of the Lib-Lab Government, 1977–8, London: Quartet Books, published 1978, →ISBN, page 156:
   • Bear in mind, however, that for some purchasing people, deciding to use an agent is a little like turkeys voting for Christmas. 2001, Trevor Kitching, “The Internet – the New Frontier for Scam Merchants”, in Purchasing Scams and How to Avoid Them, Aldershot, Hampshire; Burlington, Vt.: Gower Publishing, →ISBN, page 90:
   • The anti-divorce rallying cry of Fine Gael’s Alice Glenn, ‘Women voting for divorce is like turkeys voting for Christmas’, captured the sense of fear felt by many at the economic consequences of divorce for women. 2002, Frances Gardiner, Mary O’Dowd, “The Women’s Movement and Women Politicians in the Republic of Ireland, 1980–2000: Introduction”, in Angela Bourke et al., editors, The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, volumes V (Irish Women’s Writing and Traditions), New York, N.Y.: New York University Press, →ISBN, page 233, column 1:
   • The minority parties have walked into a trap. If they win, there will be a general election. I am told that the current joke going around the House is that it is the first time in recorded history that turkeys have been known to vote for an early Christmas. [1979 March 28, James Callaghan, Prime Minister, “Her Majesty’s Government (Opposition Motion)”, in House of Commons Debates (House of Commons of the United Kingdom), volume 965, London: Parliament of the United Kingdom, archived from the original on 07 Dec 2022, column 471:
   • Many of the responses to proposals, particularly regarding deregulation, were unsupported: it would have been like turkeys voting for Christmas in some respects. 1998, Philip Allmendinger, Huw Thomas, “Conclusions”, in Philip Allmendinger, Huw Thomas, editors, Urban Planning and the British New Right, London; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 247:

Forms

Relateds

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

Synonyms

like turkeys voting for an early Christmas

Translations (8)

ko 크리스마스에 찬성하는 칠면조떼 (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · es estar cavando su propia sepultura (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · fr se tirer une balle dans le pied (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · pl podcinać gałąź, na której się siedzi (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · it darsi la zappa sui piedi (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · fr scier la branche sur laquelle on est assis (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · fi sahata omaa oksaansa (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer) · es estar cavando su sepultura (of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer)

wikipedia: Lib–Lab pact · wikipedia: Oxford University Press · wikipedia: James Callaghan