Speccie reader Alan writes to say he was having a conversation about Liberal party factions, and (strangely enough!) two expressions came up – ‘white ant’ and ‘fifth column’ – and can I explain them please? Beyond the literal meaning of ‘white ant’ (a colloquial label for a termite from the early 1600s) the figurative uses are all Aussie coinages. The one Alan was possibly thinking about (‘undermining or subverting within’) was coined in 1905. But there’s another that you might also find useful: ‘the supposed destruction of the brain by white ants, implying loss of sanity, sense, and intelligence’ (from 1911). Both are examples of Aussie verbal inventiveness. Alan’s other term (‘fifth column’) comes from the Spanish Civil War. One of Franco’s generals, Emile Mola, had Madrid surrounded by four columns of infantry in 1936 and boasted he had a ‘fifth column’ of citizens inside the city who would rise up and support him. And yes, Alan, there’s a lot of both of those going on.

One last, late, comment on the electoral collapse of the Liberal party. The only thing that could have saved them was a ‘Michael Douglas moment’. This expression comes from the climactic moment in Douglas’ 1995 movie The American President when he passionately, articulately, and persuasively defends his presidency, and his personal life, against his critics. It’s a great speech. It’s a moving speech. Yes, a ‘Michael Douglas moment’ might have saved the Liberal party (and Peter Dutton’s seat). But I can’t remember a single great speech (or even a single very good speech) from the entire campaign. No one succeeded in channelling their inner Michael Douglas. Just didn’t happen.