like turkeys voting for Christmas
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action.
Register: humorous
Examples
The next morning [14 December 1977] the Liberals held a two-and-a-half meeting at which Steel let them have their head. Only two MPs, Howells and Johnston, said they were willing to continue the Pact. The opponents were delighted. […] ‘Us voting for the Pact is like a turkey voting for Christmas’, s
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “like turkeys voting for Christmas” mean?
Self-defeating; serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the performer of the action.
Is “like turkeys voting for Christmas” formal or informal?
like turkeys voting for Christmas is generally humorous.