Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ostrich politics

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.05 in modern English

Syllables
os-trich pol-i-tics
IPA
24
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A style of politics that evades rather than addresses problems; ostrichism.

Derogatory; Uncountable

Etymology

From ostrich + politics, calque of German Vogel-Strauß-Politik. Named after the common misconception that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when confronted with danger. First attested in the late 19th century.

Usage

Phrases

ostrich policy bury one's head in the sand head in the sand

Frequently Paired Words

ostrich policy bury one's head in the sand head in the sand

Questions

What does ostrich politics mean?
A style of politics that evades rather than addresses problems; ostrichism.
Where does ostrich politics come from?
From ostrich + politics, calque of German Vogel-Strauß-Politik. Named after the common misconception that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when confronted with danger. First attested in the late 19th century.

How to pronounce ostrich politics

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