Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-boggling installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! With the election now only about two months away, political issues are a hot topic of conversation just about everywhere you go. In recognition of that fact, here is another political term for your edification:

October surprise: (noun) The release of important news in the month before election, in hopes of affecting the outcome, especially by an incumbent. -- "Hatchet Jobs and Hardball: The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang", Grant Barrett, ed., Oxford University Press, 2004.

Example: Even with a lame duck president, the media are watching for an October surprise from either party in this contentious election.