nigger in the woodpile en · NOUN
Etymology
First attested in the 1840s.
Meanings
-
(dated, ethnic, offensive, slur) A hidden motive, influence or factor; a concealed (potential) snag; something suspicious.
Democra s^([sic]) placed no nigger in the woodpile—the imputation came with a bad grace from the gentleman from Kosciusko.
1858 December 20, “The Huntington and Whitley Case”, in The Legislative Sentinel, volume I, number 14, page 137:(Bus traffic in the London area fell 33 per cent, although the total for public transport increased by 8 per cent; but private car journeys, the nigger in the public transport woodpile, went up 78 per cent in the decade).
1964 September, “News: BR role in London traffic patterns”, in Modern Railways, page 200:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nigger in the wood pile | alternative | lexicographic | |
| nigger in the wood-pile | alternative | lexicographic | |
| niggers in woodpiles | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| niggers in the woodpile | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Ethiopian in the woodpile · monkey in the woodpile · nigger in the fence
Translations (6)
fi jotain mätää (Translations) · es gato encerrado (Translations) · fi koira haudattuna (Translations) · fr couille (Translations) · fr anguille sous roche (Translations) · de Kuckucksei (Translations)