khaki election
C2Formal, Journalistic, Political Analysis
Definition
Meaning
An election focused primarily on military or national security issues, often held during wartime.
An election where patriotic sentiment, defence policy, or international conflict dominate the political agenda, often marginalising domestic social or economic issues.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Historically associated with wartime elections. The term originates from British colonial military uniforms (khaki), implying a campaign fought on military grounds. It now connotes any election dominated by security/patriotism themes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Term originated in and is primarily used in British and Commonwealth political discourse. In American political analysis, similar elections might be described as 'national security elections' or 'wartime elections'.
Connotations
In UK usage, it may carry a critical connotation of governments exploiting military success or patriotism for political gain. In US contexts, the term is rare and may be understood only by specialists in political history.
Frequency
Common in UK historical/political texts; very low frequency in general American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [GOVERNMENT] called a khaki election on the back of [MILITARY EVENT].Analysts described the [YEAR] vote as a khaki election.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to fight an election on khaki issues”
- “to wrap oneself in the flag (similar concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might appear in political risk analysis reports discussing election impacts on defence sectors.
Academic
Used in political science, modern history, and media studies to categorise election types and campaign strategies.
Everyday
Extremely rare; likely only encountered in high-brow political commentary or documentaries.
Technical
Term of art in political journalism and historiography.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The Prime Minister was accused of attempting to khaki the election with sudden troop deployments.
adjective
British English
- The khaki election strategy backfired when domestic scandals emerged.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The election happened during the war, so people called it a khaki election.
- Historians often cite the 1900 'Khaki Election' in Britain, which was influenced by the Boer War.
- Critics accused the government of engineering a khaki election, using the recent naval victory to divert attention from rising unemployment.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a soldier in KHAKI uniform voting at a ballot box instead of a civilian. The election is about the war he's fighting.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS IS WARFARE (the election campaign is conceptualised as a military campaign).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation like 'хаки выборы'. The concept is 'выборы, проходящие под знаком военной тематики' or 'милитаристские выборы'.
- Do not confuse with the colour 'khaki'; the term is a fixed historical-political phrase.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'It was a khaki election about the economy.' (Contradicts core meaning)
- Incorrect: Using 'khaki' as an adjective for any election (e.g., 'khaki presidential election' in US context is highly atypical).
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of a 'khaki election'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It originates from the 1900 UK general election, called during the Second Boer War. 'Khaki' refers to the colour of the new military uniforms worn by British soldiers, which became a symbol of the war that dominated the campaign.
Yes, in extended usage. While historically linked to war, modern political analysts might use the term for an election overwhelmingly focused on themes of national security, border control, or patriotic rhetoric, even without an active conflict.
It is often used critically. It suggests a government is seeking to capitalise on patriotic sentiment or a security crisis to win votes, potentially at the expense of debating important domestic issues.
The United Kingdom general election of October 1900, during the Second Boer War. The Conservative government, led by Lord Salisbury, was returned to power with an increased majority, aided by patriotic fervour.