Dorothy Dix (not to be confused with the 19th-century activist Dorothea Dix) was the pen-name of U.S. journalist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (November 18, 1870 - December 16, 1951), who was famous for authoring a newspaper column that gave advice to people suffering personal or emotional problems. Letters in her column were typically addressed "Dear Dorothy", which has become an archetype for advice columns in newspapers, magazines and other printed media.
Dorothy Dix's name gave rise to a political term in Australia for a simple question asked of a Minister by a backbencher from their own party. Such a question is often referred to as a "Dorothy Dixer" and is used to give the Minister a chance to promote themselves or the work that the Government is doing in their area, or to criticise the opposition party's policies, or to raise the profile of the backbench member asking the quesion. The term has been common in Australian politics since the 1950s and is a common and widely accepted tactic used during question time in the House of Representatives.
The origin of the political term is reputed to have come from Dorothy Dix herself inventing many of the more interesting questions that she answered in her column.
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