smoke-filled room

[ smohk-fild, -fild ]

noun

1. a place, as a hotel room, for conducting secret negotiations, effecting compromises, devising strategy, etc.

smoke-filled room

1. A popular expression used to describe a place where the political wheeling and dealing of machine bosses ( see machine politics ) is conducted. The image originated during the Republican presidential nominating convention of 1920, in which Warren G. Harding emerged as a dark horse candidate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smoke-filled room¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The other is to revert primaries to proverbial smoke-filled rooms in which party insiders choose who runs in the general.

From FiveThirtyEight

Does he really think that posturing in front of the cameras is the antidote to haggling in the proverbial smoke-filled room?

From The Daily Beast

This characterization about how a smoke-filled room was responsible for your selection.

From The Daily Beast

It sent me scuttling across the hall to the sporting editor's smoke-filled room.

From Project Gutenberg

“Here they come,” someone shouted as, stamping the snow from their feet, they entered the smoke-filled room.

From Project Gutenberg

Wynne was a frowning Hercules as he entered the pleasant smoke-filled room.

From Project Gutenberg

In a smoke-filled room a fireman may find a stratum of cool, and comparatively fresh, air at the bottom near the floor.

From Project Gutenberg

I can't now recall another figure in that smoke-filled room.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• campaigning
• government