element of surprise en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) The strategic advantage afforded to a party when its opposition may be caught by surprise.
We exist separately from ACT UP/New York because it's impossible to conduct small actions [i.e. protests] that rely on the element of surprise for their success, when you need to tell 200 people about them first.
1992 February 2, Jen Wofford, quoting Garance Franke-Ruta, “Activists Protest Price of AIDS Drug”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 28, page 5:We should attack the enemy's camp now while we still have the element of surprise.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| elements of surprise | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (5)
cmn 出其不意 (strategic advantage) · pt elemento supresa (strategic advantage) · fi yllätystekijä (strategic advantage) · cmn 兵者詭道 /兵者诡道 (strategic advantage) · nl verrassingselement (strategic advantage)