small-circle election
n.— «The media reports on an “election campaign” when only 800 individuals are allowed to vote, or refers to Tsang, Beijing’s choice, as a “candidate” when the possibility of his failing is a non-starter. The euphemism, “small-circle election” is also repeatedly employed to refer to what in reality is a thoroughly undemocratic process.» —“Hong Kong Chief Faces Crisis of Legitimacy” by David Kootnikoff in Hong Kong OhmyNews June 20, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What if, instead of being an inanimate object, a dictionary were alive? That’s the idea behind a lavishly illustrated new children’s book called The Dictionary Story (Bookshop|Amazon) by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. This is part of a...
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...