like turkeys voting for Christmas

Said of people who choose or accept a situation that is not in their interest or will be directly harmful to them. Turkeys are often prepared for a Christmas meal. So now you have people supporting policies that would see their work security and health benefits eliminated. It's like turkeys voting for Christmas.

See also: Christmas, for, like, turkey, vote

like turkeys voting for Christmas

BRITISH

If someone's action or choice is like turkeys voting for Christmas, it will have a very bad result for them. Lawyers supporting non-legal methods of solving disputes are like turkeys voting for Christmas. The idea that drivers would choose to have speed limiters in their cars would be like turkeys voting for Christmas. Note: In Britain and some other countries, people traditionally eat turkey at Christmas.

See also: Christmas, for, like, turkey, vote

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

like turkeys voting for Christmas

used to suggest that a particular action or decision is hopelessly self-defeating. informal

See also: Christmas, for, like, turkey, vote

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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References in periodicals archive

Don't be caught out second time BEFORE the Tories won the last General Election, I wrote to the Post saying that, if people valued public services, they should not vote for the Tory party, and if a person worked in the public sector, like the NHS, police, etc, they would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

Don't be caught out second [...]; LETTERS

They claim this will hit trade and, if they agreed with it, they would be "like turkeys voting for Christmas.'' It's a shame it has all come to this as Queensgate Market remains a vital part of Huddersfield town centre.

Tough time

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