modest proposal
modest proposal · modest proposals
An idea which is especially extreme, unorthodox or distasteful, often put forward in jestAn idea which is especially extreme, unorthodox or distasteful, often put forward in jest.
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic)An idea which is especially extreme, unorthodox or distasteful, often put forward in jest.
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see modest, proposal.
Origin
From Jonathan Swift's 1729 satire A Modest Proposal, which suggested cannibalism as a soluFrom Jonathan Swift's 1729 satire A Modest Proposal, which suggested cannibalism as a solution to Irish poverty.
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Forms
plural: modest proposals| Singular | modest proposal |
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| Plural | modest proposals |
regular