INVASION OF THE U.S. ELECTION EXPRESSIONS

Shoo-in – an Americanism that was first used to describe rigged horse races in the 1920s before it started being used in politics. It was rare in Britain until the 1990s, when the media began parroting it so ignorantly that it is often misspelled shoe-in.

Spin doctor – first appeared in the New York Times in 1984, coming either from baseball slang or maybe from a play-doctor, who works on flawed scripts. By 1989, Peter Mandelson was ‘Labour’s spin-doctor’.

Race – An election was first described as a ‘race’ in Kentucky in 1824. It is not clear when this transferred to Britain: presumably when MPs began to run rather than stand.

Campaign – adapted from military use in the US by 1809. Reached Britain by the 1850s.

The ‘stump’ – dates back to 1816 in the US and was naturalised in Britain by 1879.

Grassroots – first recorded in the US in 1912. Became common parlance here in 1968.

Party machine – first used in the US from 1832. It was borrowed as early as 1886 by the Liberal MP W.S. Caine, who referred to ‘the blandishments or terrorism of the party machine’ in an interview with the Pall Mall Gazette.

Lobbyists – at one time in the UK these were journalists who were members of Westminster’s parliamentary Lobby. But the American meaning of someone seeking influence has taken over.

Too close to call – this is traceable to 1932 in the US and is a complete nonsense in Britain since British English does not use ‘call’ in this sense.

Bellwether constituencies – a bellwether was a castrated ram with a bell round its neck to guide the flock. In the US, the term has long been used to denote a closely contested seat that can indicate a trend. In Britain it is used only by journalistic sheep.