{To play possum}, {To act possum}, to feign ignorance, indifference or inattention, with the intent to deceive; to dissemble; -- in allusion to the habit of the opossum, which feigns death when attacked or alarmed. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
play possum — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To pretend to be asleep. * /Johnny seemed to be fully asleep, but his mother knew that he was playing possum./ 2. To stay quiet for self protection; try to escape attention by inactivity. * /The rabbit played possum under … Dictionary of American idioms
play possum — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To pretend to be asleep. * /Johnny seemed to be fully asleep, but his mother knew that he was playing possum./ 2. To stay quiet for self protection; try to escape attention by inactivity. * /The rabbit played possum under … Dictionary of American idioms
play possum — To pretend to be dead or sleeping. His younger sister jumped on him because she knew he was just playing possum … The small dictionary of idiomes
play possum — ► play possum 1) pretend to be unconscious or dead (as an opossum does when threatened). 2) feign ignorance. Main Entry: ↑possum … English terms dictionary
play possum — verb to pretend to be dead (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑feign, ↑sham, ↑pretend, ↑affect, ↑dissemble • Verb Frames: Somebody s * * * 1) pretend to be asleep or unconscious wh … Useful english dictionary
play\ possum — v. phr. informal 1. To pretend to be asleep. Johnny seemed to be fully asleep, but his mother knew that he was playing possum. 2. To stay quiet for self protection; try to escape attention by inactivity. The rabbit played possum under the bushes … Словарь американских идиом
play possum — verb a) to feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low. Thinking fast, we played possum hoping the bear wouldnt bother us. b) to feign sleep, illness, etc. The soldier played possum, fooling the… … Wiktionary
play possum — When someone plays possum, they pretend to be dead or asleep in order to avoid something they don t want to do. Sarah s not asleep. She s just playing possum because she doesn t want to come swimming … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
play possum — 1》 feign unconsciousness or death (as an opossum does when threatened). 2》 feign ignorance. → possum … English new terms dictionary
play possum — to pretend to be dead or sleeping so that someone will not annoy or attack you. I don t think he s really asleep. He s playing possum … New idioms dictionary
