Talk:wave the bloody shirt

Not well defined. Is a bloody shirt a reference? Is it a metaphorical shirt? Equinox ◑ 17:09, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Best guess it means a deceased member of the American military, but that's a total guess and the definition doesn't help. Renard Migrant (talk) 17:12, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

google books:"wave the bloody shirt" and w:Waving the bloody shirt. It would be harder to define this as a noun without the verb 'wave' in front of it. Renard Migrant (talk) 17:18, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

I have moved it there, with a redirect. Equinox ◑ 17:41, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

It is a metaphor, because it was waved by Civil War Veterans-turned-politicians in order to get people to vote for them. Conversely it was used by Civil War veterans to demand fat pensions from said politicians. Purplebackpack89 19:11, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

here is a GoogleBooks search for "bloody shirt" without wave, waved or waving. The sources seem to indicate it may also be a reference to the violence against scalawags and carpetbaggers during Reconstruction. Purplebackpack89 19:24, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

I wasn't arguing for the page move, I just said it would be 'harder' to define as a noun, not that we shouldn't even try. Renard Migrant (talk) 19:27, 28 June 2014 (UTC)