walk-around bill

walk-around bill
 n.— «A “walk-around bill” is a term used to describe a piece of legislation sponsored by a senator or representative very late in the session, often to duck a contentious debate. Instead of filing those bills early in the session so they can be referred to committees for public hearings, lawmakers who want them passed literally walk them through their respective chambers gathering enough co-sponsors to ensure passage.» —“In Dover, mum’s the word” by Mike Billington News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) July 3, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Punny Names From 1916

In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...

Why Exciting Events Are Barnburners

Why is an exciting event called a barnburner? A real barn on fire can be a spectacular sight, with so many combustible materials inside. Metaphorically, then, a barnburner is a “humdinger” or a “doozy.” There’s also a political sense of barnburner...