Blend of Governor Elbridge Gerry's name + salamander, after a cartoonist drew his oddly-shaped electoral district as a winged lizard.
To manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party.
A blend of 'Gerry' (Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry) + 'salamander.' In 1812, Gerry approved a redistricting plan that created a district so oddly shaped it resembled a salamander. A newspaper cartoonist drew wings and claws on the map and called it a 'Gerry-mander.' Key roots: Gerry (English: "Elbridge Gerry (surname)"), salamander (English: "lizard-like amphibian