Skip Navigation

The Daily Dish - 2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan

Never Miss A Euphemism

By The Daily Dish
Jun 25 2009, 1:54 AM ET

For years, the British satirical magazine, Private Eye, had a code word for sexual shenanigans among leading politicians. It was called "discussing Ugandan relations," or variations thereon. Wiki:

"Ugandan discussions", or a variation thereof, is often used as a euphemism for illicit sex, 800px-Pennsylvania_-_Delaware_Water_Gap_-_Appalachian_Trail_-_White_Blaze usually while carrying out a supposedly official duty. The term originally refers to an incident at a party hosted by journalist Neal Ascherson and his first wife, at which fellow journalist Mary Kenny had a "meaningful confrontation" with a former cabinet minister in the government of Milton Obote, later alleging that they were "upstairs discussing Uganda". The poet James Fenton apparently coined the term. The saying is often wrongly attributed to the antics of a female Cabinet minister in Idi Amin's government, who was caught having sex in a public lavatory at Heathrow Airport.

I think we should start using "hiking the Appalachian trail" for discussions of future political scandale, don't you? Instructions have been sent to all Dish staff on this matter. (Update: a reader notes Doug J and Josh Marshall beat me to it).



Presented by

More at The Atlantic

translating the Bible—Into an E-Book That Works on Any Phone Translating the Bible—Into an E-Book That Works on Any Phone
Here's What Humbert Humbert Looks Like (as a Police Composite Sketch) Is This What Humbert Humbert Really Looks Like?
The Weakening of Nations: How Tax Work-Arounds Undermine Our Society Those Cayman Islands Accounts Will Undermine Our Society
The Implications of the Military Opening More Positions to Women The Implications of Adding More Women to Our Armed Forces
A Brief History of the to-do List and the Psychology of Its Success A Brief History of the To-Do List and the Psychology of Its Success
Special Report
The Civil War National Portrait Gallery The Civil War
A 150th-anniversary commemorative issue, with Atlantic work by Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and others. Read more ›
View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

The Civil War, Part 3: The Stereographs

Feb 10, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)