firehouse primary
n.— «Chichester announced earlier this spring that he will retire at the end of this term. That sparked an intra-party battle over the nomination method, with one faction favoring an open primary and the other pushing for a Republicans-only method. The result is what’s known as a firehouse primary, which is run by the party, with limited polling places, and open only to Republicans. Voters on Saturday will have to sign an oath vowing to support the Republican nominee in the general election in November.» —“4 GOP Senate hopefuls in forum” by Chelyen Davis Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia) May 14, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
You may have a favorite word in English, but what about your favorite in another language? The Spanish term ojalá is especially handy for expressing hopefulness and derives from Arabic for “God willing.” In Trinidad, if you want to ask...
Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...