Slush Fund (1836, 1871)

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(GOOGLE NEWS)
_Senate Democrats Aim To Expose State Budget 'Slush  Funds'_ 
(http://www.nysun.com/article/28723) 
New York  Sun, NY -  <NOBR>20 ho
... Each year, Mr. Pataki, the Republican Senate majority  leader, Joseph 
Bruno, and the ... the public are not allowed to see  exactly where that "slush 
fund" money is ... 
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Time to look at this one.
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(OED)
slush fund
orig. and chiefly U.S.    
[_SLUSH_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=slush+fund*&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&searc
h_id=vVLd-AcNvMe-14349&control_no=50228184&result_place=2&xrefword=slush&ps=n.
&homonym_no=1)  n.1 2.]   
a. In  the Navy: money collected from the sale of slush, etc., and used to 
buy luxuries  for the crew. Also, a similar fund in the Army.  
1839  W. MCNALLY  Evils & Abuses in Naval & Merchant  Service xvii. 162 The 
sailors in the  navy are allowed salt beef... From this provision, when 
cooked..nearly all the  fat boils off; this is carefully skimmed..and put into empty 
beef or pork  barrels, and sold, and the money so received is called the slush 
fund. 1884  Naval Encycl. 759/2 Slush-fund, money  obtained from the sale of 
slush. It is to be used for premiums for target  firing, etc., and not for 
ship's purposes. 1963  _T. PYNCHON_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-p3.html#t-pynchon)  V. i. 14 Pappy ended up  borrowing 500 for 700 from Mac the 
cook's slush fund.
b.  transf. A fund used to supplement the salaries of government employees; a 
 fund used to bribe, or influence the action of, a person or group of 
persons,  spec. for political ends; a fund used to support a favoured political  
candidate.  
1874  Congr. Record 17 Apr. 3166/1 We  have had this ‘slush-fund’  since 
1866... It was divided among these officers to increase their salaries. 1894  
Ibid. 16 Jan. 904/1 [Cleveland]  was not elected in 1888..because of pious John 
Wanamaker and his $400,000 of  campaign slush funds. 1924  Glasgow Herald 16 
Feb. 10 A huge  fund alleged to have been deposited in a Washington bank to the 
credit of a  widely-known citizen very intimate with men prominent in public 
life... The name  given to the mysterious fund is the ‘slush fund’... ‘Slush’
, in the American acceptance  of the word, means illicit commission, bribery, 
corruption, and graft. 1931  Economist 10 Oct. 658/1 How  candidate-deputies 
will react against this suppression of what has usually, in  the past, been 
regarded as an electoral ‘slush’ fund remains to be seen. 1962  Guardian 15 Mar. 
9/6  Eisenhower's running mate was accused of being the beneficiary of  a ‘
slush fund’ subscribed by  wealthy backers. 1977  Whitaker's Almanack 1978 567/2 
 The Prime Minister on May 23 commissioned Mr. Dell, the Trade  Secretary, to 
review Government policy and commercial practices in the light of  the ‘slush 
fund’ allegations. 1980  Washington Post 1 Feb.  A1/1 The company had a 
secret $600,000 slush fund for entertaining Pentagon  officials.
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(PROQUEST)
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_SLUSH  FUND._ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=1&did=792274442&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141873585&clientId=6
5882) 
DEVER. Army and Navy  Chronicle (1835-1842). Washington: Mar 10, 1836. Vol. 
2, Iss. 10; p. 159  (2 pages) 

SLUSH FUND.
This fund is raised by a disposal of the slush, on board our  vessels of war; 
and as it is a component part of the crew's ration, it in the  strictest 
sense of justice ought to belong to them. Hitherto this has been  appropriated to 
purchased such nick nacks, as the government do not think  necessary to 
provide for, and which might just as (Pg. 160) well be done  without, (viz.) musical 
instruments, fancy uniforms for the band, &c.  &c.
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_Slush  Fund_ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=528839082&SrchMode=1&sid=5&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141874052&clientId=65
882) 
The Atlanta Constitution (1869-1875).  Atlanta, Ga.: Jul 30, 1871. p. 0_2 (1 
page) 
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_Slush Fund_
>From some of our exchanges we find that certain Radicals are  working in Ohio 
for Grant without having any office at this time, or for any  stipulated 
salary. They do all manner of work to secure Grant's re-nomination;  and what do 
they expect? it reminds us of some owner of a Northwestern slaughter  pen. He 
owns no hogs, but he has his pens, his vats, boilers, rocks and hands,  and 
kills the hogs for the owners for nothing, receiving only the little lumps  of 
fat that cling to the entrals. His slush fund or oozings, as Wood would say,  or 
drippings, satisfies them at  present.

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