• 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 does the expression “weasel words” come from and What does “weasel words” mean?

Where does the expression “weasel words” come from and What does “weasel words” mean?

May 29, 2020 by Karen Hill

The phrase “weasel words” means: Slaps on the wrist; words that weaken or detract from the effectiveness or force of another word or expression.

The expression is often erroneously accredited to Theodore Roosevelt. He did use it and define it, however, in a speech at St. Louis, May 31, 1916.

Roosevelt, along with many others, thought that action, rather than chidings, should be taken by the Wilson administration for the depredations by the German navy on American shipping.

He said the notes from the Department of State were filled with “weasel words,” adding, “When a weasel sucks eggs the meat is sucked out of the egg. If you use a ‘weasel word’ after another there is nothing left of the other.”

But the expression first appeared in an article, “The Stained-Glass Political Platform,” by Stewart Chaplin, in the June, 1900, issue of Century Magazine.

In the course of the dialogue in which the article is written, one St. John, reading the “platform” aloud, quoted, “‘the public should be protected, “Duly protected’ said Gamage. ‘That’s always a good weasel word.'”

Related Facts

  • Where did the Eiffel Tower come from and How did Gustave Eiffel build the Eiffel Tower in France?
  • Why is Ground Beef Red on the Outside but Brown on the Inside and What does it mean?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • Does It Ever Really Get Hot Enough To Fry an Egg On the Sidewalk?
  • Where does Salmonella come from and How does Salmonella Bacteria spread?
  • How Is Glass Made?

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: « Where does the expression “Davy Jones’s locker” come from and What does it mean?
Next Post: Where does the phrase “to get one’s dander up” come from and What does it mean? »

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 © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy