number games
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
[edit]- (idiomatic) A numbers game: the use of inappropriate statistics (numbers) to reflect a desired result (usually misleading).
- 1980, United States House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, (transcript of the proceedings about the) Omnibus Geothermal Energy Legislation, page 159:
- This sounds like we are playing number games, and I wonder if 20000 megawatts is a realistic guess.
- 2011, David Gilmour, The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples, page 389:
- To many of their compatriots, politicians seem an innately frivolous breed. […] When they have to retire backstage, they spend their time playing number games, plotting new combinations, making and unmaking coalitions.
- 2006, Liam Miller, Memento Mori:
- "In other words, they were playing number games with an author so they didn't look bad to their investors. They do it a lot."
- 1980, United States House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, (transcript of the proceedings about the) Omnibus Geothermal Energy Legislation, page 159:
- plural of number game: lotteries, numbers games.
- 1990, John Dombrink, William Norman Thompson, The Last Resort: Success And Failure In Campaigns For Casinos, page 99:
- Like several other northeastern states, New York has also legalized various forms of lottery and number games.
- 1993, Peter DeLeon, Thinking About Political Corruption, page 36:
- The functional argument also encompasses the "victimless crime" issue: prostitution, narcotics, and number games are illegal, yet they flourish and are indeed eagerly sought out by everyday citizens.
Usage notes
[edit]The singular form number game often refers to a literal game involving numbers, such as one children might play.