play the race card

play the race card
play the race card
To introduce the topic of race for one's own advantage, often to impute racism to an opponent or to appeal to a racist audience.
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Main Entry:race

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play the ˈrace card idiom
(disapproving) to criticize people who belong to different races in a way that is meant to make other people feel opposed to them and to gain you a political advantage, especially during an election

He accused his opponent of playing the race card during the campaign.

Main entry:race cardidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • play the race card — verb To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race. The defense… …   Wiktionary

  • play the race card — Meaning Attempt to gain advantage in an election by pandering to the electorate s racism. Origin Coined in England in the 1960s. Following an influx of immigrants into the UK in the 1950/60s the Conservative candidate in an election for the… …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • Race card — Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to the act of bringing the issue of race or racism into a debate, perhaps to obfuscate the matter. It is a metaphorical reference to card games in which a trump card may be used to gain an… …   Wikipedia

  • race card — noun : the issue of a person s race as it relates to a particular contest (as a political campaign or a court trial) often used in the phrase play the race card * * * race card, 1. racial prejudice, especially when used as part of a plan or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • play the card — ► play the card exploit a specified issue or idea, especially for political advantage: he plays the race card. Main Entry: ↑card …   English terms dictionary

  • play the … card — idiom to mention a particular subject, idea or quality in order to gain an advantage • He accused his opponent of playing the immigration card during the campaign. see also ↑race card Main entry: ↑cardidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • race — race1 W2S2 [reıs] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(sport)¦ 2¦(people)¦ 3¦(get/do something first)¦ 4¦(do something quickly)¦ 5¦(prize/power)¦ 6¦(horse race)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [Sense: 1, 3 6; Date: 1200 1300; : Old Norse; Origin: ras going quickly, running …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • race — I. /reɪs / (say rays) noun 1. a contest of speed, as in running, riding, driving, sailing, etc. 2. (plural) a series of races, especially horseraces or greyhound races run at a set time over a regular course. 3. any contest or competition: an… …  

  • play a card —    to deploy an argument based on prejudice or emotion    See card2. The suit is usually specified:     To claim to speak for all the black individuals in this country is to patronize, stereotype and play the race card . {Daily Telegraph, 24… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • The Trial of R. Kelly — Infobox Boondocks Episode Title = The Trial of R. Kelly Caption = R. Kelly supporter being interviewed. Airdate = November 13, 2005 Season no. = 1 Episode no. = 2 Production no. = 101 Writer = Rodney Barnes Aaron McGruder Director = Anthony Bell… …   Wikipedia

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