hobby horse
Child's pretend mount
A hobby horse is a stick with a carved horse's head that children straddle and pretend to ride.
From this toy comes the figurative sense: a topic someone returns to obsessively, a favorite subject they won't let go of.
Don't get him started on tax reform—it's his hobby horse.
The compound sometimes appears as one word: hobbyhorse.
Mounted toy that sways
- stick horseToy mount on pole
- playthingObject for amusement
- maneNeck hair, horse/lion
- gallopSwiftest quadruped gait
pretend · ride-on · wooden · nursery · toddler · neigh · pony · broomstick
Absorbing mental focus
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- passionIntense emotional drive
- enthusiasmIntense eager enjoyment
idée fixe · single-mindedness · monomania · fascination · pet project · crusade · soapbox · bugbear
Life's earliest phase
- memoriesStored past experiences
- vintageQuality from past eras
- antiqueOld valued collectible
- heirloomInherited family treasure
keepsake · heritage · old-fashioned · bygone · retro · yesteryear · reminiscence · sentimentality
Swiftest quadruped gait
- pranceStep high and proud
- trotPace between walk, canter
- cavortPlay with lively movement
- frolicLighthearted playful movement
romp · gambol · canter · pretend play · make-believe · imaginative · carefree · whimsy
rocking horse
Mounted toy that sways
- stick horseToy mount on pole
- playthingObject for amusement
- maneNeck hair, horse/lion
gallop · pretend · ride-on · wooden · nursery · toddler · neigh · pony · broomstick · imaginative play
preoccupation
Absorbing mental focus
enthusiasm · idée fixe · single-mindedness · monomania · fascination · pet project · crusade · soapbox · bugbear · absorption
childhood
Life's earliest phase
heirloom · keepsake · heritage · old-fashioned · bygone · retro · yesteryear · reminiscence · sentimentality · classic toy
gallop
Swiftest quadruped gait
frolic · romp · gambol · canter · pretend play · make-believe · imaginative · carefree · whimsy · merriment
- ride-on horsesrocking horse, carousel horse, spring rider, kiddie ride
- Toylanddolls, blocks, trains, teddy bears, puzzles
- British gamesconkers, British bulldog, darts, bowls, rounders
- Horse Idiomshold your horses, dark horse, high horse, straight from the horse's mouth, horse sense
- horse toysrocking horse, stick horse, wooden horse, spring horse, mechanical horse
- Santa's workshopelves, toys, sleigh, reindeer, presents
hobby horsepassing fancy
Temporary, shallow attraction
open mind · afterthought · indifference · disinterest · open-mindedness