BARNBURNER

barnburner

(noun) an impressively successful event; “the rock concert was a real barnburner”

barnburner

(noun) someone who burns down a barn

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

barnburner (plural barnburners)

(idiomatic) An extremely exciting or successful event or person.

One who burns down a barn.

(slang, chiefly Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Maryland) a strike-anywhere match.

Noun

Barnburner (plural Barnburners)

(historical, US politics, slang) A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, around the middle of the 19th century, which was hostile to extension of slavery, public debts, corporate privileges, etc, and supported Van Buren against Cass for president in 1848.

Antonyms

• Hunker

Source: Wiktionary

Barn"burn`er, n. [So called in allusion to the fable of the man who burned his barn in order to rid it of rats.]

Definition: A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, about the middle of the 19th century, which was hostile to extension of slavery, public debts, corporate privileges, etc., and supported Van Buren against Cass for president in 1848; --opposed to Hunker. [Political Cant, U. S.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition