rear » reel

Chiefly in:   reel its (ugly) head

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • “Or, is there a hidden agenda that is only now beginning to reveal itself and reel its ugly head?” (Michnews.com via Reason Magazine, Jan. 20, 2004)
  • Bradbury’s most popular novel still resonates today as anti-intellectualism once again reels its ugly head. (Vue Weekly, Feb. 24, 2005)
  • As much as I want to disagree (guns-blazing, intellectual warfare imagery abounds), realpolitik reels its ugly head. (Ben Wyatt, Mar. 24, 2006)
  • That social system that appeared to be encouraging in the beginning, reeled its head and became an area of destruction. (Gabriel Zeigler, Dec. 9, 2006)
  • Desperation is reeling its ugly head. (CNN Political Ticker comment, May 22, 2008)
  • ROMNEY’S INNER JACKASS REELS ITS HEAD AGAIN (TPM Cafe Reader Post, June 26, 2008)
| Comments Off link | entered by Ben Zimmer, 2008/06/26 |