Idiom
clothespin vote
Meaning
A vote that is cast for a given candidate despite personal reservations or a distaste for that individual.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I will cast a clothespin vote for him because I dislike his opponent more.”
“He gives a clothespin vote to the leader he trusts the least.”
“Many voters felt forced to cast a clothespin vote to keep the other candidate out of office.”
“Even though she disagreed with his tax plan, she cast a clothespin vote to ensure her party stayed in power.”
“The young activist decided to offer a clothespin vote for the moderate candidate rather than wasting her ballot on a third party.”
“Disillusioned by the lack of viable options, the citizens reluctantly cast a clothespin vote, holding their noses as they marked the ballot for the lesser of two evils.”
Examples
simple
“I will cast a clothespin vote for him because I dislike his opponent more.”
“He gives a clothespin vote to the leader he trusts the least.”
contextual
“Many voters felt forced to cast a clothespin vote to keep the other candidate out of office.”
“Even though she disagreed with his tax plan, she cast a clothespin vote to ensure her party stayed in power.”
“The young activist decided to offer a clothespin vote for the moderate candidate rather than wasting her ballot on a third party.”
complex
“Disillusioned by the lack of viable options, the citizens reluctantly cast a clothespin vote, holding their noses as they marked the ballot for the lesser of two evils.”
Origin
From the figurative image of holding one's nose while casting a ballot, suggesting that the candidate is a source of considerable olfactory distress. The term implies that the act of voting has become an exercise in endurance, necessitating the use of a clothespin to mask the metaphorical stench of the available choices.
Key words
Related idioms
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