Tammany Hall
Preserved but no longer current.
The headquarters (in 14th Street, New York) of the controlling organization of the Democratic Party in New York City and State; hence, the Party itself, and, as this has been so frequently prosecuted and exposed for bribery ana corruption, used figuratively for wholesale and systematic political or municipal malpractice.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tammany Hall” mean?
The headquarters (in 14th Street, New York) of the controlling organization of the Democratic Party in New York City and State; hence, the Party itself, and, as this has been so frequently prosecuted and exposed for bribery ana corruption, used figuratively for wholesale and systematic political or municipal malpractice.
Is “Tammany Hall” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.