anoccasionwhenpeoplebid(=offermoneyandcompeteagainst otherpeople)for something that someone hasofferedto do, forexamplecookameal,washacar, etc. It is usually done inorderto getmoneyfor acharity.
It is a bit like having a blind auction or anauctionofpromises, with local authorities guessing where the level is, rather than knowing.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
What is of particular importance today is the avoidance of any populistauctionofpromisesand protection of citizens from the extreme cynicism of certain politicians.
FromEuroparl Parallel Corpus - English
It includes five-a-side football, a fete, vintage car show, barbecue, art exhibition, children's party, senior citizens' party, and anauctionofpromises.
From
Wikipedia
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This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.