blimpery

blimpery

A stubborn leader dismisses the team's new ideas with blimpery.

Definition

Noun (uncountable): The stubbornly conservative, reactionary, or ultra-patriotic attitudes and behavior associated with a stereotypical military figure (often called a "Colonel Blimp"), characterized by resistance to change, jingoism, and a rigid adherence to outdated traditions.

Usage Examples
  • (His stubborn, reactionary attitude refused to accept new ideas.)
  • (The newspaper was accused of fostering reactionary, ultra-patriotic views.)
  • (His conservative and dogmatic stance alienated him from more forward-thinking colleagues.)
Advanced Usage
  • "To indulge in blimpery": to act or speak in a manner that is pompously conservative and resistant to progress.

    • The retired colonel would indulge in blimpery at every dinner party, complaining about modern youth. (He would express reactionary views habitually.)
  • "Blimpery of the old guard": the collective reactionary attitudes of a conservative establishment.

    • The blimpery of the old guard prevented the company from adopting new technologies. (The conservative mindset blocked innovation.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Blimpish (adj): having the qualities of blimpery; reactionary and pompously conservative.

    • His blimpish remarks about immigration angered many. (His comments were stubbornly conservative and outdated.)
  • Blimper (n): a person who exhibits blimpery; a reactionary figure.

    • The newspaper's columnists were a bunch of old blimpers. (They were reactionaries.)
Synonyms
  • Reactionarism: the political attitude of opposing change and advocating a return to a previous state.
  • Jingoism: extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive foreign policy.
  • Conservatism (pejorative): excessive resistance to change, often with a sense of superiority.
Related Idioms
  • "Stuck in the past": refusing to accept modern ideas or changes.

    • His blimpery meant he was stuck in the past, still arguing for colonial policies. (He was unwilling to adapt.)
  • "Old-school thinking": outdated, traditionalist attitudes.

    • The board's blimpery was a classic case of old-school thinking in a modern industry. (Their thinking was rigidly traditional.)