Hammelsprung
German
Etymology
From Hammel (“wether”) + Sprung (“jump”). Thought to be from the idea that (most of) the delegates follow their faction leaders like sheep follow bellwethers.
Noun
Hammelsprung m (genitive Hammelsprungs, plural Hammelsprünge)
- (politics) A way of voting, functionally comparable to a division in the UK parliament, where the members or delegates leave the hall and re-enter it through three doors marked as aye, nay, and abstention.