lemming
Tundra-dwelling rodent
A lemming is a small Arctic rodent related to voles.
Lemmings are famous for a myth that they commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs during migration—actually a misconception popularized by a 1958 Disney documentary that staged the footage.
The myth persists as metaphor: a lemming is someone who follows the crowd blindly, especially toward disaster: Don't be a lemming—think for yourself.
Short-tailed field rodent
- mouseSmall gnawing mammal
- hamsterSmall burrowing pet rodent
- gerbilSmall burrowing pet rodent
- muskratSemiaquatic North American rodent
pika · mammal · gnawing · incisors · whiskers · fur · tail · burrowing
Vertical rock wall
- suicideVoluntary death by oneself
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- DisneyMajor entertainment conglomerate
- documentaryFactual film about reality
fabrication · debunked · folklore · legend · urban legend · false · hoax · staged
One who supports another
- groupthinkConformity-driven poor decisions
- herd mentalityTendency to follow crowds
- blindLacking the sense of sight
- unthinkingLacking conscious thought
masses · crowd · bandwagon · peer pressure · imitation · copycat · sheep · mindless
Frigid treeless biome
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- polarOf extreme latitudes
- NorwayScandinavian coastal kingdom
- ScandinaviaNordic countries collectively
subarctic · taiga · alpine · boreal · habitat · burrow · nest · winter
All inhabitants combined
- cycleRepeating sequence of events
- boomLoud deep sound
- bustFailure or sculpture
- dispersalSpreading in many directions
mass movement · swarm · exodus · seasonal · journey · instinct · navigation · overcrowding
vole
Short-tailed field rodent
muskrat · pika · mammal · gnawing · incisors · whiskers · fur · tail · burrowing · scurrying
cliff
Vertical rock wall
- suicideVoluntary death by oneself
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- DisneyMajor entertainment conglomerate
documentary · fabrication · debunked · folklore · legend · urban legend · false · hoax · staged · propaganda
follower
One who supports another
- groupthinkConformity-driven poor decisions
- herd mentalityTendency to follow crowds
- blindLacking the sense of sight
unthinking · masses · crowd · bandwagon · peer pressure · imitation · copycat · sheep · mindless · obedience
tundra
Frigid treeless biome
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- polarOf extreme latitudes
- NorwayScandinavian coastal kingdom
Scandinavia · subarctic · taiga · alpine · boreal · habitat · burrow · nest · winter · snow
population
All inhabitants combined
dispersal · mass movement · swarm · exodus · seasonal · journey · instinct · navigation · overcrowding · surge
- arctic rodents
- Cricetidshamster, vole, voles, golden hamster, dwarf hamster
- Lemmingsbasher, blocker, bomber, builder, climber
- ArcticArctic Circle, Arctic Ocean, Arctic wildlife, Arctic exploration, Arctic research
- Arctic animalsarctic fox, arctic tern, polar bear, musk ox, caribou
- Arctic wildlifepolar bear, arctic fox, arctic tern, snowy owl, muskox
lemmingnonconformist
Rejects prevailing social standards
freethinker · individualist · maverick · independent thinker · rebel
lemmingtrailblazer
First to forge ahead
leader · pioneer · pathfinder · trendsetter · innovator