slogan

Definition

A distinctive phrase of a person or group of people (such as a movement or political party); a motto.

Etymology

From earlier sloggorne, slughorne, slughorn (“battle cry”), borrowed from Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm (“battle cry”), from Old Irish slóg (“army; (by extension) assembly, crowd”) + gairm (“a call, cry”). Slóg is derived from Proto-Celtic *slougos (“army, troop”), from Proto-Indo-European *slowgʰos, *slowgos (“entourage”); and gairm from Proto-Celtic *garsman (“a call, shout”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeh₂r- (“to call, shout”). The English word is cognate with Latin garriō (“to chatter, prattle”), Old English caru (“anxiety, care, worry; grief, sorrow”).

Example Sentences

• ""Right-ho," I [Bertie Wooster] said, not much liking the assignment, but liking less the idea of endeavouring to thwart this incandescent aunt in her current frame of mind. Safety first, is the Wooster slogan."
• "His bugle Wat of Harden blew; / Pensils and pennons wide were flung, / To heaven the Border slogan rung, / "St Mary for the young Buccleuch!""