card-carrying

English

Adjective

card-carrying (not comparable)

1. Enrolled as a member of an organization, and having a card to prove it; loyal to that organization or the cause it supports.
   • 1939 November 1, “Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities”, in Hearings before a Special Committee on Un-American Activities, volume II, pages 6713–4:

     Mr. Casey I notice that counsel [Mr. Whitley] or someone asked you as to "card carrying Communist."
     Mr. McCuistion, Yes.
     Mr. Casey,. Is that a well-known phrase, "card carrying Communist"?
     Mr. McQuistion, That "card-carrying Communist" is the type of Communist who comes out and admits to everybody he is a Communist.
     Mr. Casey. But it has no reference to his membership card at all?
     Mr. McQuistion. Yes. He flashes it to everybody, just like a reporter flashes his credentials at this thing here, if it was not known to the other reporters. He tells everybody.
     Mr. Casey. Did you ever see Joe Curran's card?
     Mr. McQuistion. No; I never saw Joe Curran's card. I know enough about Communist procedure, however, to know that Joe Curran would not be issued a card, anyhow, in the name of "Joe Curran."
     Mr. Casey. I mean if he was a "card carrying Communist" who flashes his card.?
     Mr. McQuistion. Oh, they would not make that type of man—they very seldom make that type of man an official.

   • 2004, Peter Mommsen, Homage to a Broken Man: The Life of J. Heinrich Arnold:

     Except for the men in uniform, few in the hail were card-carrying Nazis. But they must have long shared a silent approval of Hitler's goals.

2. (by extension) Loyal and dedicated to some cause.
3. Official.

Synonyms

• cardholding

Further reading

• Card-carrying Communist on Wikipedia.Wikipedia