Caucus

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Dr. Goodword
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Caucus

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:23 pm

• caucus •

Pronunciation: kaw-kês • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A closed political meeting that determines policy or selects candidates for office. 2. (Britain) A committee within a political party that determines party policies.

Notes: In the Word History below we will suggest that today's word might come from Latin. However, the lack of any derivations with meanings like "member of a caucus", "having caucuses", or "like a caucus" weighs against a Latin origin. Today's word may be used as a verb "as is", though: "The party caucused for two days and decided to disband." The plural is, just as you would expect, caucuses.

In Play: A caucus is a meeting closed to all but members of a political party: "After a day-long caucus members of the party returned with a recommendation that they receive a pay raise." It may include the entire party or only a select few: "The heterosexually married, protestant, pro-abortion, anti-amnesty, health care reform, free nursery school caucus agreed on everything, but is not releasing its position to the public."

Word History: Today's Good old American Word comes from the Caucus Club of Boston in the 1760s, a political alliance of Boston tradesmen (including John Adams, Sam's cousin) that decided who would receive appointments to town offices. No one knows where the club got its name. The obvious source is Latin, but caucus in Latin means "drinking vessel". J. H. Trumbull suggested in 1872 that it comes from an Algonquin word caucauasu "advisor", which Captain John Smith of Virginia listed in his glossary as Caw-cawaassough "one who advises, urges, encourages", from a verb meaning "talk to, give counsel". Indian names were commonly taken by clubs and secret associations in New England at that time, but no direct evidence exists to support the speculation that this was one of them. (We don't need to caucus to agree that Gail Granum deserves our appreciation for suggesting today's Good Word.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

LukeJavan8
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Re: Caucus

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Jan 27, 2015 2:02 pm

Our neighbor to the east does its primary sessions that way.
And here we go again.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

misterdoe
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Re: Caucus

Postby misterdoe » Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:53 am

Whenever I see this word I remember Johnny Carson talking about a fight that broke out among campaign volunteers at a Michael Dukakis event: it was a "raucous Dukakis caucus fracas."

LukeJavan8
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Posts: 4427
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Re: Caucus

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Jan 28, 2015 12:52 pm

Only Johnny.......
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


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