What is the term used to describe words and phrases one's political allies or members of one's own party will understand but will not have any meaning to others?

lanfranco

"Argot" or "cant" might work: http://www.answers.com/topic/argot Feb 11 06, 10:59 AM

Baloo55th

Hartrampf's Vocabularies also suggests jargon. Argot is usually a popular dialect, and jargon is used by work colleagues - scientists and so on, for example. Cant, on the other hand, is used by thieves and rogues. I know which one I'd apply to politicians.... Feb 11 06, 1:43 PM

RaeRae55

Thanks for help. Feb 11 06, 2:25 PM

lanfranco

The site I posted defines "argot" as "specialized expressions indigenous to a particular field, subject, trade, or subculture," with "cant" and "jargon" offered as potential synonyms. I've heard the term "political cant" often, and an "argot" is not confined to a dialect but may simply involve a specific vocabulary. I doublechecked with the OED, which defines "argot" as as "the jargon, slang, or peculiar phraseology" of a class of people and adds that IT was originally used for thieves and rogues. "Cant" is defined as "special phraseology of a particular class of persons, or belonging to a particular subject." In other words, these terms may be used interchangeably. Feb 11 06, 2:39 PM