Log-roller, subs. (colloquial).—1. A conditional ally in passing a bill
through the Legislature without reference to the merits or demerits of
the measure so advanced; and (2) a venal critic assistant or friend.
See Log-rolling.
1885. Field, 19 Dec. But some very good contracts can be made, so
that the logrollers are pleased, and also the ignorant, to whose
folly the defences are ostensibly a tribute.
1890. Black (in Notes & Queries, 7th S. ix. 106). Dryden presents
the alternatives very clearly. If the literary friend does not
praise his comrade’s work, he must, of course, be dumb with envy;
if he does praise it, then he is a log-roller.
1895. Star, Logroller (a constant signature).
Log-rolling, subs. (colloquial).—Co-operation in the pursuit of money,
business, or praise. See quots.
1848. Bartlett, Dict. of Americanisms, s.v. Log-rolling. For
instance, a member from St. Lawrence has a pet bill for a plank
road which he wants pushed through; he accordingly makes a bargain
with a member from Onondaga, who is coaxing along a charter for a
bank, by which St. Lawrence agrees to vote for Onondaga’s bank,
provided Onondaga will vote in turn for St. Lawrence’s plank road.
1855. Washington Union, 10 Feb. The legislation of Congress is
controlled by a system of combination and log-rolling.
1872. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 260, 1. Vote for my bill and I will
vote for your bill; and this is called log-rolling.
1875. American English, in Chamb. Journal, 25 Sept., p. 610. When a
group of members supports a bill in which they have no direct
interest, in order to secure the help of its promoters for a bill
of their own, they are said to be log-rolling, a term taken from
the backwoods, where a man who has cut down a big tree gets his
neighbours to help him in rolling it away, and in return helps them
with their logs.
1887. Lippincott’s Mag., July, p. 162. And first as to that
question of literary log-rolling which has of late been harped upon
so much.
1888. Globe, 17 Oct. One has always a suspicion that log-rolling is
at work.
1889. Town and Country, 14 Dec., p. 18, col. 4. Votes which have
been obtained by no end of trouble, and Heaven knows how much of
log-rolling, will disappear as a dream.
Logy, adj. (American).—Dull. [Cf. Du. log = heavy; slow; unwieldy].
Loll, subs. (old).—1. A favorite child.—Grose (1785); Matsell (1859).