hustings

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The Word of the Day for January 20 is: 

hustings   \HUSS-tingz\   noun
         *1 : a place where political campaign speeches are made
      2 : the proceedings or locale of an election campaign

Example sentence:
           In contrast to his opponent, the incumbent senator looked cool and 
composed up on the hustings.

Did you know?
           Hustings are where babies are kissed, flesh is pressed, and media 
events are staged. The term traces to an Old Norse word meaning "house 
assembly," and 1000 years ago hustings were judicial assemblies where 
Anglo-Saxon kings and their followers held council and resolved civil disputes. 
Over time, "hustings" came to refer not only to the assembly but also to the 
platform where the leaders of such gatherings sat, and in due course the term 
was applied to the entire campaigning process as well. Nowadays, "on the 
hustings" is synonymous with "on the stump," and it can refer to any place 
along the campaign trail where a candidate makes a pitch for public office.





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