Playing possum?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Arnold">Arnold</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="possum">possum</span>... <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="possum">possum</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="opossum">opossum</span>.</p><p><span word="Arnold">Arnold</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="opossum">opossum</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="fault">fault</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="pretending">pretending</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Australian">Australian</span> <span word="marsupial">marsupial</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="wont">wont</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="danger">danger</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="triggers">triggers</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="flight">flight</span> <span word="reaction">reaction</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="indeed">indeed</span>, <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="Precisely">Precisely</span>, <span word="Arnold">Arnold</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="inactive">inactive</span>, <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="something">something</span>.</p><p><span word="Playing">Playing</span> <span word="possum">possum</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variation">variation</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="opossum">opossum</span> (<span word="British">British</span> <span word="spelling">spelling</span>).</p><p><span word="Opossum">Opossum</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="marsupials">marsupials</span> (<span word="mammals">mammals</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pouch">pouch</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="rearing">rearing</span> <span word="babies">babies</span>) <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Australia">Australia</span>. <span word="Unlike">Unlike</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="marsupials">marsupials</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kangaroo">kangaroo</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="koala">koala</span> <span word="bear">bear</span>, <span word="opossums">opossums</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="timid">timid</span> <span word="creature">creature</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="scared">scared</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="evading">evading</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="predator">predator</span>. <span word="PLAY">PLAY</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="pretending">pretending</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>, <span word="acting">acting</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>. <span word="People">People</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="observed">observed</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="behavior">behavior</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="deemed">deemed</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="strategy">strategy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> “<span word="play">play</span> <span word="opossum">opossum</span>” <span word="or">or</span> “<span word="play">play</span> <span word="possum">possum</span>”.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="maybe">maybe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opossums">opossums</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="scared">scared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="strategy">strategy</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="danger">danger</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="eagle">eagle</span> <span word="surveying">surveying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sky">sky</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="surely">surely</span> <span word="attest">attest</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eagle">eagle</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="testify">testify</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="attract">attract</span> <span word="attention">attention</span>; <span word="stationary">stationary</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span>.</p>
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