Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

reverse ferret

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.99 in modern English

Syllables
re-verse -fer-ret
IPA
19
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sudden volte-face in an organisation's editorial line on a certain issue, especially one without acknowledgment of the previous position.

British usage

Etymology

The term originates from Kelvin MacKenzie's time at the The Sun. His preferred description of the role of journalists when it came to public figures was to "stick a ferret up their trousers". This meant making their lives uncomfortable, and was based on the northern sport of ferret-legging. However, when it became clear that the tide of public opinion had turned against the paper's line, MacKenzie would burst from his office shouting "Reverse Ferret!"

Usage

Inflected Forms

reverse ferrets (plural)

Questions

What does reverse ferret mean?
A sudden volte-face in an organisation's editorial line on a certain issue, especially one without acknowledgment of the previous position.
Where does reverse ferret come from?
The term originates from Kelvin MacKenzie's time at the The Sun. His preferred description of the role of journalists when it came to public figures was to "stick a ferret up their trousers". This meant making their lives uncomfortable, and was based on the northern sport of ferret-legging. However, when it became clear that the tide of public opinion had turned against the paper's line, MacKenzie would burst from his office shouting "Reverse Ferret!"

How to pronounce reverse ferret

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “reverse ferret”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “reverse ferret” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.