The Congress Dictionary: The Ways and Meanings of Capitol Hill

The subtitle conveys the main focus of this book. It is a dictionary of the phrases and words associated with the United States Congress, a guide to language rather than procedure, although much procedural information is incidentally included. The range of terms defined is generous. Technical terms such as appropriation or cloture are covered with brief background notes, although students of procedure would probably require greater detail. The dictionary is strong on etymology and colourful anecdote. This is shown even more by the main area examined, the jargon and colloquialisms associated with Congress. One can understand such exotic phrases as...