The race is on, and the end line is nearly right here. This 12 months’s U.S. presidential race is hotly contested, and like all horse race it’s rife with hypothesis and fascinating language. What chances are you’ll not notice is simply what number of phrases used throughout this 12 months’s election cycle originated in one in all America’s oldest pastimes: horse racing.

Right here you’ll discover 11 phrases that left the gate firmly entrenched in horse racing vernacular, however strayed from the course and at the moment are typically used throughout election season.

Longshot – A time period used to explain a horse with little likelihood of profitable that’s now used to explain any such horse, human, workforce or different entity.

Darkish horse – Originating in a novel a couple of horse race, a darkish horse is one who isn’t anticipated to win, whether or not in horse racing or political races.

Entrance runner – A entrance runner is a horse that runs alongside on the entrance of the sphere throughout a horse race, typically setting the tempo. It’s now typically used to explain a politician that leads within the polls.

All the way down to the wire – This time period was initially used to explain a horse race that was very shut till the opponents reached the end line, which is actually a wire strung over the monitor at that spot. It’s now ceaselessly used to explain any form of contest, political or in any other case, that’s tight till the very finish.

Arms down – Almost the other of “right down to the wire,” “fingers down” originated when describing a horse that wins so simply his jockey doesn’t have to induce him on, which turns into evident when the jockey relaxes his fingers from their customary stretch drive place excessive on a horse’s neck. It’s nonetheless used to explain a straightforward winner in lots of contexts.

Homestretch – The homestretch is the straight a part of a racetrack after the ultimate flip, ending with the end line. Horses run their hardest throughout this a part of the race simply earlier than the end, just like presidential candidates throughout the fall of an election 12 months.

Neck-and-neck – This time period describes racehorses that run aspect by aspect, locked in a good race. It additionally has been used to explain many shut presidential races.

Horse race – A horse race is, clearly, when two or extra horses compete to see which is quicker. In politics or different human endeavors it typically means an unsure or shut contest.

“To vet” or “vetted” – The time period “to vet” refers to when a veterinarian examines a horse to make sure it’s wholesome and able to race, or when a vet examines a horse earlier than it’s offered to make sure the client isn’t getting an unhealthy or injured horse, i.e. “they vetted the horse earlier than finishing the acquisition.” It additionally refers back to the strategy of confirming {that a} candidate is match for a place, comparable to elected workplace, earlier than she or he is taken into account.

Throughout the board – Throughout the board is a kind of guess encompassing win, place and present wagers on the identical horse. It has developed to imply “making use of to all” or “common,” as when candidates advocate for across-the-board coverage modifications on this fall’s debates.

Useless warmth – This time period has lengthy referred to a horse race that ends in a tie and is now used to explain a tie in any contest.