diplomatic cold

diplomatic cold
   a bogus excuse for nonattendance
   First contracted by Mr Gladstone, as being more polite than a direct refusal. Those who wish to keep out of the public eye for a while may contract a diplomatic illness:
    This was interpreted by some as a 'diplomatic' illness, allowing him to dissociate himself from the campaign if it went disastrously wrong. (Daily Telegraph, 1994, reporting on Yeltsin's absence during a Russian attack on Chechnya)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • cold —    1. dead    Usually but not exclusively used of hotblooded creatures, although knocked out cold refers to unconsciousness only. Whence several morbidly humorous 19th century phrases, of which the most common was cold meat, a corpse:     If you… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • Diplomatic history — deals with the history of international relations between states. Diplomatic history can be different from international relations in that the former can concern itself with the foreign policy of one state while the latter deals with relations… …   Wikipedia

  • Cold Start (military doctrine) — Cold Start is a military doctrine developed by the Indian Armed Forces in 2004.[1] It involves joint operations between India s three main services Army, Navy, and Air Force and integrated battle groups for offensive operations. A key component… …   Wikipedia

  • Cold War espionage — describes the intelligence gathering activities during the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Because each side was preparing to fight the other, intelligence on the opposing side s intentions, military, and technology was of paramount… …   Wikipedia

  • Cold Steal —   …   Wikipedia

  • Cold War — For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). United States President …   Wikipedia

  • Cold War (1962–1979) — 1980 World map of alliances The Cold War (1962–1979) refers to the phase within the Cold War that spanned the period between the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis in late October 1962, through the détente period beginning in 1969, to the end… …   Wikipedia

  • Diplomatic history of Australia — History of Australia This article is part of a series Chronological …   Wikipedia

  • Diplomatic uniform — Ernesto Balmaceda in Chilean diplomatic uniform, 1906 Diplomatic uniforms are ornate uniforms worn by diplomats – ambassadorial and consular officers – at public occasions. Introduced by European states around 1800 and patterned on court dress,… …   Wikipedia

  • Cold War (1953–1962) — 1959 World map of alignments:   NATO member states …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”