Three state political reporters confirm that "catfish amendment" dates at least to the 1970s.
None of them knows for sure where it comes from, either.
Earlier, Dome explored the possible derivations of the phrase, which refers to a seemingly friendly amendment designed to kill a bill.
Ferrell Guillory, who covered the legislature from 1973 to 1977, recalls hearing it then. He favors the "sinking into the muck" explanation.
"A catfish is a bottom feeder," he said. "They're kind of ugly and they sit at the bottom and feed on the trash."
More after the jump.
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Jack Betts, a political columnist for the Charlotte Observer, wrote Dome that he's "never found a satisfactory explanation" for the term.
"I think it's one of those terms you understand without really having a rationale for it," he said.
And Rob Christensen, longtime political reporter for The News & Observer, said he's heard the term bandied about for years, but he has no idea where it comes from.
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Amendment . . . or sponsor?
"They're kind of ugly and they sit at the bottom and feed on the trash."
Tough call.