In this unique lexicon of a rich and colorful segment of our language, readers will find entries for such terms as Beltway bandit and boondoggle, angry white male and leg treasurer, gerrymander and Joe Citizen, banana superpower and the Big Fix. Each entry includes the definition of the word, its historical background, and illuminating citations, some going back more than 200 years. The book also features sidebars on topics like the suffix "-gate" and all the related Watergate terms; a short history of "big cheese"; all about chads and the 2000 election; and the naming of legislation.