Play possum

Origin of: Play possum

Play possum

To play possum is to lie low, feign ignorance or inattention, with intent to deceive. In extreme situations it also means to feign death. It is an American expression that dates from the early 19th century and derives from the common American marsupial, properly named the opossum, which feigns death to make predators drop their guard. 'Opossum' is the original word, which is a Native American word that entered the English language in 1610, but the shortened form 'possum' came into use at around the same time, from 1613, according to the OED.