A translation of the original Min Nan term: 縛柱仔腳 (POJ: pa̍k thiāu-á-kha, literally: to tie the base of the piles together). The Mandarin equivalent of 縛 (POJ: pa̍k, English: to tie, to bind together) is 綁, and the Mandarin equivalent of 柱仔 (POJ: thiāu-á, English: stake, pile, post) is 樁. The phrase "to tie together one's base piles" is a metaphor for when a politician earmarks money in a budget in order to benefit key supporters (such as local political leaders, companies with government contracts etc) in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes.