Idiom? Red meat for the right wings

[bmo]

Jan 21, 2004 San Jose Mercury Newspaper quoted Rep. Zoe Lofgren who responded to President Bush's State of the Union Address:

"I thought it was divisive and intended to provide red meat for the right wings." What does it mean?

Thanks.

BMO

 

[RonBee]

The phrase is red meat for the right wing. I suppose it is called red meat because they eat it up. In other words, it is supposedly something that appeals to them politically.

 

[Tdol]

Red meat is also associated with strength and macho habits, rather than veganism, which is seen as less of a manly diet. ;-)

 

[bmo]

Thanks to RonBee and Tdol, you know these idioms stuff, they are so funny. It is very interesting to study. I laugh when I saw your explanations. How come you two and Rep. Lofgren know so much? Do your parents spoke at home when you were kids? (Immigrants' children would have some disadvantages here because either we don't know or speak at home. Of course, this can be made up.) BMO

 

[Tdol]

I'm a native speaker and grew upwith them.;-)

 

[RonBee]

Like Tdol, I grew up around people who spoke the language. So it just kind of comes naturally, I guess.

A lot of idioms have to do with food in some way or other. One of them is eat it up which means to respond to something very positively. Example:

• A: Did they like the speech?
  B: Yes, they ate it up.

 

[bmo]

Thanks. We will never figure that out literally. Come to think of it, many idioms are related to "food." Just exactly is "eat your heart out?" It looks very offensive and I am still afraid of using it although I kind of know it vaguely. (Some native speakers use idioms more than others.) BMO

 

[Tdol]

[No message]

 

[Tdol]

It's a way of gloating when you have succeeded and someone thought you wouldn't. ;-)

 

[bmo]

Got it. Thanks. Now I know why an employee here said privately, "Boss, eat your heart out," after she drove a new car in one day. BMO

 

[Tdol]

I take it she doesn't greatly like the boss. ;-)

 

[bmo]

Yes and universal. She was left go finally. bmo

 

[RonBee]

Yes and universal. She was left go finally. bmo

I am not sure what you mean by "universal" there. Do you mean that the feeling was mutual? In other words, they didn't like each other? (You guys have been busy while I was gone.)

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

'Mutual' seems the most likely. ;-)

 

[bmo]

Sorry. Not mutual, I meant to say many people dislike the same boss. Thanks.

 

[Tdol]

A common situation. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Sorry. Not mutual, I meant to say many people dislike the same boss. Thanks.

Then you could say he was universally disliked, although that seems a little extreme to me. In this case I would probably say he was widely disliked.

 

[bmo]

That sounds much better. Thanks.

BMO

 

[jwschang]

Sorry. Not mutual, I meant to say many people dislike the same boss. Thanks.

Then you could say he was universally disliked, although that seems a little extreme to me. In this case I would probably say he was widely disliked.

i think it's a hyperbolic expression. if he was pushed out the window (90th floor), everybody in the office is a suspect.

 

[MW]

"red meat for the right wings" Just what they needed, like grist for the mill.

"eat your heart out" Be jealous or envious.