hobby-horse
Child's pretend mount
A hobby-horse is a stick with a horse's head that children straddle and pretend to ride.
The term extends to any favorite topic or preoccupation someone returns to repeatedly: Don't get him started on tax reform—it's his hobby-horse.
The figurative sense carries a hint of obsessiveness, suggesting the person rides the subject past the point of others' interest.
Room for infants
- toddlerChild learning to walk
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- playroomChildren's recreation area
- innocenceFreedom from wrongdoing
whimsy · make-believe · pretend · galloping · playtime · fantasy · storybook · fairy-tale
Persistent mental attachment
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- monomaniaFixation on single idea
- single-mindednessExclusive focus on purpose
enthusiasm · passion · fascination · bugbear · crotchet · theme · leitmotif · soapbox
Spring-mounted nursery plaything
- woodenMade from timber
- maneNeck hair, horse/lion
- saddleMounted rider's seat
- stirrupsSaddle-hung foot supports
gallop · pony · ride-on · reins · hooves · tail · whinny · neigh
Drama through gesture alone
- pageantStaged public display
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- costumeClothing for portrayal
- festivalOrganized public celebration
reenactment · jousting · medieval · tournament · performer · processional · carnival · charade
nursery
Room for infants
- toddlerChild learning to walk
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- playroomChildren's recreation area
innocence · whimsy · make-believe · pretend · galloping · playtime · fantasy · storybook · fairy-tale · kindergarten
fixation
Persistent mental attachment
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- monomaniaFixation on single idea
single-mindedness · enthusiasm · passion · fascination · bugbear · crotchet · theme · leitmotif · soapbox · crusade
rocking-horse
Spring-mounted nursery plaything
stirrups · gallop · pony · ride-on · reins · hooves · tail · whinny · neigh · rockers
pantomime
Drama through gesture alone
- pageantStaged public display
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- costumeClothing for portrayal
festival · reenactment · jousting · medieval · tournament · performer · processional · carnival · charade · skit
hobby-horseindifference
Lack of interest
apathy · disinterest · non-issue · afterthought · blind spot
hobby-horseopen-mindedness
Acceptance of differing viewpoints
broad-mindedness · versatility · detachment · objectivity · dilettantism
hobby, horseshoe, horseback, hobbies, horseplay, hobbyist, horseman, horsey, horseshoes