Barnburner — Barn burn er, n. [So called in allusion to the fable of the man who burned his barn in order to rid it of rats.] 1. A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, about the middle of the 19th century, which was hostile to… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
barnburner — ☆ barnburner [bärn′bʉrn΄ər ] n. Slang something, esp. a closely contested sports event, that is very exciting, intense, dramatic, etc … English World dictionary
barnburner — I n A person or organization that overreacts, throws the baby out with the bathwater. That Congress was a barnburner that tried to reduce oppressive regulations by removing them all. 1840s II n A highly successful event. The poetry reading turned … Historical dictionary of American slang
barnburner — n. an attention getting event or development. □ The current barnburner in Washington is the Wilson investigation. □ This is a real barnburner! Everyone will want to see it … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
barnburner — noun 1. someone who burns down a barn (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑arsonist, ↑incendiary, ↑firebug 2. an impressively successful event the rock concert was a real barnburner • Usage Domain: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
barnburner — /bahrn berr neuhr/, n. 1. Informal. something that is highly exciting, impressive, etc.: The All Stars game was a real barnburner. 2. Chiefly Pennsylvania. a wooden friction match. 3. (cap.) a member of the progressive faction in the Democratic… … Universalium
barnburner — See a barnburner … English idioms
barnburner — barn•burn•er [[t]ˈbɑrnˌbɜr nər[/t]] n. dial. inf Informal. something that is highly exciting, impressive, etc • Etymology: 1930–35, amer … From formal English to slang
barnburner — Exciting contest … American business jargon
a barnburner — an exciting game, a cliff hanger When the Flames play the Oilers it s a barnburner a great game … English idioms
Wilmot Proviso — The Wilmot Proviso was introduced on August 8, 1846, in the United States House of Representatives as a rider on a $2 million appropriations bill intended for the final negotiations to resolve the Mexican American War. The intent of the proviso,… … Wikipedia