English

Adverb

pat in the middle ‎(not comparable)

1. right in the middle
   • Wauwa Pease says of the strategic position of the Pirates in the dining room: “They have taken the table near the upper doorway so they can make a speedy exit in case their lair is raided.” Of course, the Wauwas stand pat in the middle of the dining room, having nothing to fear.
     —"At the Wauwatosa Table" (1922 Sept 22), City Club News, Milwaukee, vol viii no. 2 p. 7
   • Candidates in gubernatorial campaigns must stand pat in the middle, trying to push their rivals off the center line, charging the opponent with either left or right extremism.
     —Newsweek (1962)
   • In Ogoni[land], Shell locations lie pat in the middle of villages, in front and back gardens – and that should lay a particular responsibility on Shell to be absolutely cautious in its operations.
     —Ken Saro-Wiwa (1995), A Month and a Day, p. 112