weasel war dance
- noun
- /ˈwiːzəl wɔr dæns/
- Informal
:
baile de la comadreja
- When the ferret got a new toy, it did a weasel war dance around the room.
Examples
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The puppies greeted their owner with leaps and spins reminiscent of a weasel war dance.
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After their successful prank, the friends performed a mock weasel war dance in the hallway.
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Look at that weasel doing a weasel war dance!
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What a fun way to celebrate with a weasel war dance!
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After their successful prank, the friends performed a mock weasel war dance to celebrate their victory.
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The puppies greeted their owner with lively jumps and twirls that looked like a weasel war dance.
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When the ferret found a shiny object, it excitedly did a playful weasel war dance around the room.
Synonyms
1
4.4
A lively happy movement people make together at a celebration
1
8.2
A group dance done before battle or after a victory, often by Native peoples
1
8.7
A lively, skilled dance that shows energy and enthusiasm
A lively dance move that people do with energy to show skill
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is largely compositional: a 'war dance' (a vigorous, ritualized display) performed by a 'weasel', so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to an energetic display by the animal. However, 'war dance' is used metaphorically rather than literally and the specific connotations of playful, frenzied behaviour (rather than aggression) may not be fully predictable without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Weasel war dance comes from the real, wild jumps and spins a weasel makes when it is excited. People thought those quick moves looked like a tiny war dance, so the phrase now means a wild, happy 'celebration'.