trained seals
Balancing ball pinnipeds
Trained seals are seals taught to perform tricks for entertainment, balancing balls on their noses and clapping their flippers in circuses and marine parks.
The phrase extends figuratively to people who perform obediently on command, applauding or responding as expected without independent thought: The audience clapped like trained seals whenever the CEO paused.
- sea lionEared flippered marine mammal
- marine mammalWarm-blooded ocean dweller
- circusTraveling entertainment with performers
- animal actTrained beasts entertaining audiences
- tricksDeceptive acts or techniques
jump through hoops · flippers · ball · balancing · applause · standing ovation · performance · water show · performing arts · marine · barking · fish · rewards · whistle · pool · handler · aquarium · hoops
- circus actsacrobat, acrobats, trapeze artist, juggling, jugglers
- circus termstrapeze artist, lion tamer, big top, juggler, tightrope walker
trained sealsfreethinkers
Independent-minded questioners of orthodoxy
rebels · nonconformists · mavericks · dissenters · critical thinkers
trained, seals, train, seal, training, trainer, trains, trainee, trainable