IdiomFood & Drink
English
Englisha banana republic
Meaning: A small, politically unstable country dominated by a corrupt elite or foreign business.
Example: “Rigging the vote like that is what you'd expect in a banana republic.”
Origin: Coined by the American writer O. Henry in Cabbages and Kings (1904), about a fictional Central American country modeled on Honduras, whose economy depended on banana exports controlled by foreign companies.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Une république bananière Literally: A banana republic
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