stand pat en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Probably originally a poker phrase, with "pat" equaling "optimal", meaning that drawing more cards is unnecessary. Later the phrase came to be employed in other spheres. "Stand pat" was actively used in U.S. political campaigns of the 1900s, quickly gaining a sense of "being reactionary, resistant to dramatic changes in policy". Moreover, a noun, standpatter, was coined to denote such politicians.
Meanings
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(intransitive) To play one's hand without drawing any more cards.
With a mixed hand and the highest card the curse of Scotland, I've seen that man stand pat in a game with four millionaire mining men.
1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter IV, in The Understanding Heart:
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(intransitive) To stop hitting; to declare one's hand as final.
After getting a hand of 20, the player stood pat.
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(idiomatic) To resist changes.
China has cut rates and allowed banks to boost lending, while some countries, such as South Korea have stood pat, fearful that inflation pressures could reignite.
2012, "Asia's Local Growth Dilemma", Wall Street Journal, by Alex Frangos, 21st of July
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stands pat | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| standing pat | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| stood pat | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| stood pat | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Deriveds
standpatter · standpattism · standpatism