Definition of Dorothy Dix in English:
Dorothy Dix
nounPlural Dorothy Dixes ˌdɒrəθi ˈdɪks
Australian A prearranged parliamentary question asked to allow a minister to deliver a prepared speech.
short questions inevitably appear to be Dorothy Dixes
Example sentencesExamples
- Reputedly, the former prime minister used to practise his answers to Dorothy Dix questions.
- Watching her stumble over her written answers to Dorothy Dix questions in the House is a hoot!
- He looks for redemption in a Dorothy Dix interview with a dictator.
- Labor ministers used their three Dorothy Dix questions to paint a picture of life under a coalition government.
- The company locked its workers out for five months, without as much as one word, one press release or one Dorothy Dix question in Parliament criticising it.
- They carefully fed him Dorothy Dixes, to which he had his answers down pat.
- It concentrated all the questions it gets to ask itself—Dorothy Dix questions—on national security.
- He wanted to use the opportunity of Dorothy Dix questions to go on the front foot.
- The government ramped up its criticism in Parliament, organising Dorothy Dix questions from its own MPs to press home its message.
- Watch out for future press stops loaded with "Dorothy Dix" questions where he can rattle off "great big new tax" etc. without interruption.
- They avoided the need for prearranged Dorothy Dix questions by allowing ministerial statements by leave.
- Question Time in the Parliament suffers from the farce of Dorothy Dix questions and Ministers obsessed with point-scoring, rather than problem solving.
- Question time yesterday was very depressing, with the Government organising Dorothy Dix questions to defend its position on patent law.
Origin
1950s: named after Dorothy Dix, the pseudonym of US journalist Elizabeth Meriwether (1870–1951), who wrote a popular question-and-answer column.