Tall poppy
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="poppy">poppy</span>”: <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="poppy">poppy</span>” <span word="culture">culture</span>: <span word="you">you</span> <span word="stick">stick</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crowd">crowd</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="whacked">whacked</span> <span word="off">off</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bird">bird</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sticks">sticks</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="similarly">similarly</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nail">nail</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="raises">raises</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="surface">surface</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="hammered">hammered</span> <span word="down">down</span>.</p><p><span word="Metaphorically">Metaphorically</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="appear">appear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="better">better</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rest">rest</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="attract">attract</span> <span word="unwanted">unwanted</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="jealousy">jealousy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="criticism">criticism</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="poppies">poppies</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>?</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="Rome">Rome</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kings">kings</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="chop">chop</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="taller">taller</span> <span word="poppies">poppies</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="exact">exact</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="message">message</span>: <span word="get">get</span> <span word="rid">rid</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="prominent">prominent</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="society">society</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="stability">stability</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="ensured">ensured</span>. <span word="This">This</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="specific">specific</span> <span word="reference">reference</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="poppies">poppies</span> <span word="occurs">occurs</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Livy">Livy</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="account">account</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tyrannical">tyrannical</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span> <span word="King">King</span>, <span word="Tarquin">Tarquin</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Proud">Proud</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="son">son</span> <span word="Sextus">Sextus</span> <span word="Tarquinius">Tarquinius</span> <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Gabii">Gabii</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="all">all</span>-<span word="powerful">powerful</span> <span word="there">there</span>. <span word="Rather">Rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="answering">answering</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span> <span word="verbally">verbally</span>, <span word="Tarquin">Tarquin</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>, <span word="took">took</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stick">stick</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="symbolically">symbolically</span> <span word="swept">swept</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>, <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="cutting">cutting</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heads">heads</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tallest">tallest</span> <span word="poppies">poppies</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="there">there</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span>, <span word="tired">tired</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="answer">answer</span>, <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Gabii">Gabii</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="Sextus">Sextus</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="seen">seen</span>. <span word="Sextus">Sextus</span> <span word="realised">realised</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="wished">wished</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="eminent">eminent</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Gabii">Gabii</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="did">did</span>.</p>
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