parrot-fashionn.adv.adj.
/ˈparətˌfaʃn/, U.S. /ˈpɛrətˌfæʃ(ə)n/ A. n.
The manner or style of a parrot; esp. a mechanical or repetitive manner; a manner indicative of rote learning. Chiefly in in parrot fashion.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > absence of thought > [noun] > manner indicating
parrot-fashion1826
1826 Literary & Evangelical Mag. Mar. 136 What is learned is learned in parrot fashion. It is recited mechanically.
1869 Appleton's Jrnl. 23 Oct. 308 To listen well..is difficult with those who pretend to converse, but only express in the parrot-fashion.
1892 W. J. Linton Heliconundrums 23 Why, my last new Sunday bonnet Has not finer feathers on it..Better than a bird e'er wore: French, surpassing parrot fashion.
1904 Amer. Jrnl. Sociol. 10 305 Children are sometimes described as able to read fluently when they can repeat in parrot fashion a few lines of the first reader.
1935 G. Gorer Africa Dances (1962) ii. iv. 99 They are taught a sort of French in parrot fashion.
1996 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 9 Oct. 32 Neal was pictured repeating in parrot fashion every comment uttered by Taylor.
B. adv.
Without thought or understanding, mechanically; by rote; = parrot-like adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > absence of thought > [adverb]
parrot-like1575
parrot-fashion1839
vacuously1860
1839 United Service Jrnl. June 168 They are required to show..that they are not merely repeating, parrot-fashion, what has been stuffed into them.
1893 P. F. Willert Henry of Navarre ii. 52 Of Greek he seems only to have known a few tags, which his tutor made him learn by rote, parrot-fashion.
1948 A. Paton Cry, Beloved Country ii. ii. 138 He had heard them reciting, parrot-fashion,..things that could mean little to them.
1977 ‘F. Clifford’ Ten Minutes on June Morning 111 Reassurances..were passed on, parrot-fashion, without knowledge or understanding.
2002 Statesman (India) (Nexis) 5 May Who was tutoring the mother and daughter to repeat their story parrot fashion to the police and reporters?
C. adj.
Characterized by mindless and mechanical repetition; = parrot-like adj. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > absence of thought > [adjective] > mechanical
parrot-like1792
parrot-fashion1953
1953 Times 7 Dec. 6/3 A practice condemned as ‘mechanical parrot-fashion learning’.
1967 Canad. Jrnl. Afr. Stud. 1 214 There is constant opportunity for discussions..which lead to active thinking in contrast to parrot-fashion learning.
2003 Birmingham Post (Nexis) 24 Feb. (Letters section) 10 Why can't Blair and Straw..drop their parrot-fashion agreement with everything Bush and Powell say?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adv.adj.1826