the.com/smoke filled
where decisions get made by people who technically weren't in the room.
means describes backdoor deals struck privately, away from public scrutiny or formal process, usually by a powerful few.
from coined for the 1920 republican convention, where party bosses picked warren harding in a literal cigar-hazy hotel suite at 2am, over the heads of delegates.
first useassociated press, 1920, describing harding's nomination
ironyharding later called it a myth, then admitted it happened
modern versionsame rooms, now smoke-free, still shady