• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Term “Spin Doctor” Come From and What Does the Phrase Mean?

Where Did the Term “Spin Doctor” Come From and What Does the Phrase Mean?

May 23, 2020 by Karen Hill

The term spin doctor first appeared in the New York Times during Ronald Reagan’s campaign for re-election in 1984.

“Spin” is the twist given a baseball by a pitcher throwing a curve ball to deceive the batter, while a “doctor” is someone who fixes a problem.

Therefore, a “spin doctor” is someone who, faced with a political problem, solves it by putting a twist on the information to bend the story to his or her own advantage.

Related Facts

  • Where Did the Term "Noon Hour" Come From and What Did the Term For Midday Mean Originally?
  • What Does the Term "A1 Condition" Mean and Where Did the Term Come From?
  • What Does the Term "Alma Mater" Mean and Where Did the Term Come From?
  • What Does the Term "Straw Boss" Mean and Where Did the Term For Work Supervisor Come From?
  • Where Did the Term "True Blue" Come From and What Does the Phrase Mean?
  • Where Did the Term "Charley Horse" Come From and What Does the Phrase Mean?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Does the Expression “Spilled the Beans” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?
Next Post: What Does the Term “Sea Change” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Originate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy