[Ads-l] tall-poppy syndrome

[Rich Lowenthal]

The book "Elites in Australia" by John Higley and others (1979) refers 
to the "cut-down-the-tall-poppy-syndrome."

"The cut-down-the-tall-poppy-syndrome. A great deal of the Australian 
ethos that argues a 'fair go' for all gets translated into mediocrity. 
The contrast is the 'can do, will do' philosophy in the United States. 
In Australia it's 'No, we can't do it.'" (p. 115)


------ Original Message ------
>From "ADSGarson O'Toole" 
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 6/8/2026 17:52:41
Subject Re: tall-poppy syndrome

>Interesting topic, JL. English film director Alan Parker used "Tall
>Poppy Syndrome" in 1980. Parker attributed the phrase to an unnamed
>friend.
>
>The OED discusses a pertinent anecdote about Tarquinius Superbus
>within the entries for "tall poppy" and "poppy" (see further below).
>Tarquinius Superbus cut off the heads of the tallest poppies in his
>garden. There is no OED entry for "tall poppy syndrome".
>
>Date: June 14, 1980
>Newspaper: The Saturday Windsor Star
>Newspaper Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
>Article: Director left obscurity for Fame
>Author: Bart Mills (Special to The Star)
>Quote Page E7, Column 3
>Database: Newspapers.com
>
>https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-tallpoppy/199195562/
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>"England is such a moaning and bitching country now. It's in the grip
>of a desperate sickness. You return after working in America and
>you're depressed by the sourness that permeates the people here. The
>English don't like success.
>
>"A friend of mine calls it The Tall Poppy Syndrome. If you're taller,
>you get cut down. I'm supposed to be an English director. I always
>thought I was proud to be English. I still am proud. But now I'm
>wondering why."
>[End excerpt]
>
>[Begin OED excerpt]
>tall poppy noun
>Chiefly Australian.
>A prominent or conspicuously successful person, organization, etc.;
>frequently in the context of being brought down, or with the
>implication of attracting hostility from envious detractors.
>
>In quot. 1710 as part of an extended metaphor, with contextual
>reference to the story of Tarquinius Superbus (see note at poppy n.
>5).
>
>1710 Some People talk of lopping tall Poppies.
>Observator 2–6 December
>[End OED excerpt]
>
>[Begin OED excerpt]
>poppy noun
>5. figurative. A conspicuous or prominent person or thing, frequently
>with implication of likely humiliation. Cf. tall poppy n. Obsolete.
>
>[Probably with reference to the story of Tarquinius Superbus, who
>silently demonstrated how to deal with potential enemies by cutting
>off the heads of the tallest poppies in his garden: see Livy 1.54.6.]
>[End OED excerpt]
>
>Garson
>
>On Sun, Jun 7, 2026 at 8:10 PM Jonathan Lighter
><00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>>
>>  Artie (AI) sez: "On a purely cultural level, Hanks suffers from a
>>  phenomenon known as "tall poppy syndrome"—the tendency to criticize or
>>  resent people who are overwhelmingly praised."
>>
>>  JL
>>
>>  --
>>  "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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