It sounds so nice. “My good friend...” It is what some members of Congress say about their fellow lawmakers. But Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark offer the not-so-nice meaning. They explain the real meaning of “my good friend” and other words from American politics in their book, “Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs & Washington Handshakes.” The authors say that members of Congress often use the phrase “my good friend” to refer to a person they do not like. The official may not even be able to stand the good friend. Another example of words that mean something different than they appear is: “I want to spend more time with my family.” Members of Congress often say this when they are resigning or giving up their jobs. While it is true that members of Congress often spend many days away from their families, the authors say that politicians use this expression when they do not want to give the real reason they are resigning. The real reason could be that they did something wrong, or they just found out that they are unlikely to win re-election.