Circle the wagons

This article is about the idiom. For the defensive tactic it refers to, see Wagon fort. For the Darkthrone album, see Circle the Wagons (album).

Circle the wagons is an English language idiom which may refer to a group of people uniting for a common purpose. Historically the term was used to describe a defensive maneuver which was employed by Americans in the 19th century. The term has evolved colloquially to mean people defending each other.

Etymology

Further information: Wagon fort

In America during the mid 1800s many pioneers traveled west by wagon. Typically these were Conestoga wagons and they traveled west in a single file line known as a wagon train. At night the wagons would form a circle around their encampment and livestock for defensive reasons.^[1][2]

"Circling the wagon" is still an idiomatic expression for a person or group preparing to defend themselves against attack or criticism.^[3]

English language uses

In contemporary English the phrase Circle the wagons is often used figuratively and idiomatically to describe members of a group protecting each other,^[4][5] for instance when political parties and groups defend their own views and chastise those outside of their group.^[6][7]

Cultural insensitivity

The term frequently describes rival factions banding together to support one another.^[8] Some Indigenous people view the term as offensive based on its literal meaning stemming from the manifest destiny era.^[9] Some critique the term on the basis that it is culturally insensitive and evokes racist images of Native Americans.^[10][11]

See also

• Adage
• Comprehension of idioms
• English-language idioms
• Morphology (linguistics)

References

1. McCarthy, Pat (2009). Heading West. Chicago Illinois: Chicago Review Press. p. 25. ISBN 9781613741993. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
2. Peavy, Linda S.; Smith, Ursala (1998). Pioneer women : the lives of women on the frontier (Oklahoma paperbacks ed.). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780806130545. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
3. Killblane, Richard E. (2006). Circle the Wagons: The History of US Army Convoy Security. Combat Studies Institute. ISBN 9780160770340.
4. "circle the/one's wagons idiom". Merriam Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Merriam Webster's. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
5. Pearson, Carol Lynn (2007). No More Goodbyes Circling the Wagons Around Our Gay Loved Ones. Chicago Illinois: Pivot Point Books. ISBN 9780963885241.
6. West, Darrell M. (2019). Divided politics, divided nation : hyperconflict in the Trump era. Washington, D.C.: The Bookings Institution. p. 175. ISBN 9780815736929. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
7. Randolph, Lewis A.; Tate, Gayle T. (2003). Rights for a season : the politics of race, class, and gender in Richmond, Virginia (1st ed.). Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. p. 137. ISBN 1572332247. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
8. Thompson, Jessica L.; Houseal, Ana K. (21 April 2020). America's Largest Classroom. Oakland California: University of California Press. p. 24. ISBN 9780520340633. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
9. Stollznow, Karen (2020). On the Offensive. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108791786. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
10. Logan, Shawn (2 November 2017). "Calgary Circle the Wagons festival strikes racist chord as organizers vow rebranding". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
11. "'It's the right thing to do': Circle the Wagons festival changing its name". CBC Radio Canada. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2021.