winter of discontent
/ˌwɪntər əv ˌdɪskənˈtent/
/ˌwɪntər əv ˌdɪskənˈtent/
- a phrase first used by some British newspapers and politicians to describe the winter of 1978-9 in Britain, when there were many strikes and economic problems. The phrase was taken from the opening lines of Shakespeare's play Richard III. It was used to suggest that people were not happy with the way the Labour government was running the country. The same phrase is now used to refer to any difficult political situation that occurs during the months of winter
- The problems in the power industry led to another winter of discontent.
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winter of discontent