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Nov 11, 2009
This week's theme
Words with horse-related origins

This week's words
horse-and-buggy
horse latitudes
stalking horse
hobbyhorse
Trojan horse
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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

stalking horse

PRONUNCIATION:
(STAH-king HORS)

MEANING:
noun:
1. Something used to mask the true purpose.
2. A candidate put forward in an election to draw votes from another or to conceal another's potential candidacy.

ETYMOLOGY:
After the former practice of bird hunters of hiding behind a horse (or a decoy) until he had reached within close range of prey.

USAGE:
"The escalation of war in Afghanistan may be only a stalking horse for an even larger war in Pakistan as the United States seeks to secure the nukes there."
Michael Lerner; Say No to War in Afghanistan and Pakistan; San Francisco Chronicle; Oct 8, 2009.

"Pollsters say Mr. Daggett is hurting Mr. Christie more, by siphoning off anti-incumbent voters. And some talk-radio hosts are asking if he is not a stalking horse for Mr. Corzine."
David M. Halbfinger; Independent Candidate Stirs Up the Governor's Race in New Jersey; The New York Times; Oct 11, 2009.

See more usage examples of stalking horse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all. -Joey Adams, comedian (1911-1999)

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