play possum

From play + possum (“from opposum”), from the behavior of the Virginia opossum, which feigns death when threatened. First use appears c. 1807.

• "Thinking fast, we played possum, hoping the bear wouldn't bother us."
• "The soldier played possum, fooling the sniper."
• "To keep the focus away from his client, the lawyer basically played possum during the entire complex trial, and his tactic paid off with an acquittal."
• "What happened to Job after that I am sure I do not know, but my own impression is that he lay still upon the corpse of his deceased assailant, "playing 'possum" as the Americans say."
• "When we used to get home late at night, I would play possum so my daddy would carry me inside and put me in bed."
• "Though, as it afterwards turned out, the Yankee had money enough about him, and was merely playing the ’possum all the while."
• "Never imposing upon any one myself, I suffered no one to play the possum with me."
• "You have been holding-in all this while — possumus omnes, we all play the ’possum..."
• "As none came with the coach from Deadwood, I suppose the amount of funds was insignificant. You can't tell, though, for the stage company is liable to play possum sometimes."

• sham Abram
• sham Abraham