reverse ferret

noun

A sudden volte-face in an organisation's editorial line on a certain issue, especially one without acknowledgment of the previous position.

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Meanings

nounreverse ferret (plural reverse ferrets)

plural reverse ferrets

  1. UKmediaA sudden volte-face in an organisation's editorial line on a certain issue, especially one without acknowledgment of the previous position.

Origin

The term originates from Kelvin MacKenzie's time at the The Sun. His preferred description of the role of journalists when it came to public figures was to "stick a ferret up their trousers". This meant making their lives uncomfortable, and was based on the northern sport of ferret-legging. However, when it became clear that the tide of public opinion had turned against the paper's line, MacKenzie would burst from his office shouting "Reverse Ferret!"

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Cite this entry
APA

reverse ferret. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reverse%20ferret

MLA

“reverse ferret.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reverse%20ferret. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reverse ferret,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reverse%20ferret.

Source: reverse ferret on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.