Gerrymandering
When talking about redistricting, the word "gerrymandering" is often thrown around, but what does it mean? "Gerrymandering" is used to describe the process where districts are drawn with unusual lines in order to preserve the power of a political party.
The word gerrymander (a combination of "Gerry" and "salamander") was first used in a Boston newspaper in 1812 in reaction to a drawing of state senate districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry. One of the oddly shaped districts was thought to look like a salamander. A political cartoon turned the district into an animal and the word officially entered our political language!