red under the bed

English

Etymology

From red (meaning communist) and the traditional child's fear of a monster lurking under the bed.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Noun

red under the bed (plural reds under the bed or reds under the beds)

1. (slang) An insidious communist presence; a communist who has infiltrated capitalist society.

Usage notes

This term is most commonly encountered in the plural, and tends to be used in a tongue-in-cheek or ironic manner.