[Vocabulary] Senate floor

[Silverobama]

Hi,

What does "Senate floor" mean in this sentence?

His behavior on the Senate floor exposed him to ridicule.

Thanks a lot

 

[JohnParis]

His behavior while he was speaking inside of the United States Senate in Washington D.C.
The Senate floor refers to the interior of the chamber of the United States Senate.
John

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi,

What does "Senate floor" mean in this sentence?

His behaviour on the Senate floor exposed him to ridicule.

Thanks a lot

I would take it to mean his behaviour while speaking in the senate. In Britain, when a politician speaks or asks a question in parliament, s/he stands on the floor of the house.

 

[SoothingDave]

You do "have the floor" when you are the recognized speaker at the moment, but I believe that "on the floor" here could refer to any person's behavior while in the chamber, not just the person who "has the floor."

 

[JohnParis]

I think that Dave has found the exact meaning.
"He" may not have been speaking, and he may not have even been in the United States Senate. "He" could have been in one of those fistfights we see occasionally in Senate's of other countries. His behavior was the cause of ridicule and he could have been anywhere from Maine to Manila. Thanks Dave.

 

[SoothingDave]

No, I think it refers to his behavior while physically inside the Senate chamber. It may have been an outburst while another was speaking, or something like that.

 

[JohnParis]

Naturally, that's what I meant. He was inside some Senate chamber somewhere, but it may not have been the US Senate. It could have been the Maine Senate or the Senate of the Philippines.
"He" could have been in one of those fistfights we see occasionally in Senate's of other countries." Sorry if I was confusing.

 

[Barb_D]

As former resident of Maine, I want to go on record saying that OUR state senate does NOT resort to fisticuffs in the capitol building!

Well, not usually.

 

[Silverobama]

Well, this is the source where I got the sentence and notice that it is American English of the Cambridge.dictionary.com.

Thanks a lot

expose v - definition in American English Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary Online