Kiss of Death - Judas kiss

Posted by ESC on January 04, 2004

In Reply to: Kiss of Death posted by Jim Heath on January 04, 2004

: I know the meaning but wondered about the origin.

KISS OF DEATH - "unwelcome support from an unpopular source, occasionally engineered by the opposition.The phrase is derived from the kiss of Judas and the betrayal of Christ. It is also described as coming from a gangland custom called 'omerta,' said to have begun in Sicily. 'In the mobs,' wrote Russell Baker, 'a kiss from the boss is tantamount to arriving at the office one morning and finding your rug gone.'" From Safire's New Political Dictionary by William Safire (Random House, New York, 1993).