- British English Idiom – Like turkeys voting for Christmas or Like turkeys voting for Xmas
- Meaning – This expression is used to describe a situation when people accept something that will have negative consequences for them in the future. This idiom is frequently used in a political context; when people choose to vote for something that will make life worse.
- In the USA people might use Like turkeys voting for Thanksgiving or Like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders.
- A turkey is a large bird commonly eaten on Christmas day and at Thanksgiving.
- Xmas is a slang expression for Christmas.
Example:
- “The train drivers voting to accept a pay decrease would be like turkeys voting for Christmas!”
Listen:
In The News:
Wales and the Brexit vote: a case of turkeys voting for Christmas?
Discuss:
- Is there an idiom like this in your country?
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.