bury (one's) head in the sand

bury (one's) head in the sand

To avoid, or try to avoid, a particular situation by pretending that it does not exist. The phrase refers to the common but mistaken belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when frightened, so as to avoid being seen. Lou, you can't bury your head in the sand about your health—please, make an appointment with your doctor and get that rash checked out! A: "How has Peter been handling the break-up?" B: "Oh, just burying his head in the sand and ignoring his feelings."See also: bury, head, sand

bury one's head in the sand

 and hide one's head in the sand; have one's head in the sandFig. to ignore or hide from obvious signs of danger. (Alludes to an ostrich, which is believed incorrectly to hide its head in a hole in the ground when it sees danger.) Stop burying your head in the sand. Look at the statistics on smoking and cancer.See also: bury, head, sand

bury your head in the sand

COMMON If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to accept the truth about something unpleasant. Don't be an ostrich and bury your head in the sand, hoping your problems will disappear. Note: Verbs such as stick, hide and keep are sometimes used instead of bury. No one has the luxury of sticking their head in the sand when it comes to standing up for basic civil rights. Note: You can also say that someone has a head in the sand approach or a head in the sand attitude. It's a stupid, head-in-the-sand approach to the global problem of nuclear waste disposal. Note: People used to think that ostriches buried their heads in the sand when they were in danger. See also: bury, head, sand

bury your head in the sand

ignore unpleasant realities; refuse to face facts. This expression alludes to the belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when pursued, thinking that as they cannot see their pursuers the pursuers cannot see them.See also: bury, head, sand

bury/hide your ˌhead in the ˈsand

refuse to deal with unpleasant realities, possible dangers, etc. by pretending they do not exist: Stop burying your head in the sand, Tim. Don’t pretend that everything’s all right.This phrase refers to the common belief that the ostrich buries its head in the sand when it is in danger.See also: bury, head, hide, sand