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tall poppy

[ tawl pop-ee ]

noun

, Chiefly Australian, New Zealand Informal
  1. a person of great success, talent, or status:

    They are the best and the brightest, our very own tall poppies.



tall poppy

noun

  1. informal.
    a person who has a high salary or is otherwise prominent
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of tall poppy1

First recorded in 1980–85; from an anecdote about Thrasybulus, tyrant of Miletus, 7th century b.c., related in Herodotus
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tall poppy1

perhaps from Tarquin's decapitation of the tallest poppies in his garden, to indicate the fate of the most prominent citizens of Gabii
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Example Sentences

This is very common in minority communities where, you know, there’s a tall poppy syndrome where someone emerges and seeks to represent people, they have to be cut down pretty quickly.

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tallowytall poppy syndrome