English

Alternative forms

• skunk at the garden party

Noun

skunk at a garden party

1. (idiomatic) Within a group, someone who is unwelcome and actively avoided.
   • 1963, A. R. Gurney, The Comeback, ISBN 9780822202295, p. 11 (Google preview):

     "You're making us all feel uncomfortable and uneasy. You're a skunk at a garden party, to put it bluntly."

   • 1996 Aug. 13, Michiko Kakutani, "Books: Confessions of a Big Mouth," New York Times (retrieved 6 Dec 2015):

     Mr. Rollins . . . is probably as well known for his big mouth as he is for his campaign savvy, a quality that has made him a favorite source for reporters and often cast him in the role of "the skunk at a garden party" in political circles.

   • 2009 Feb. 18, Lindsey Hilsum, "Obituary: Alison Des Forges," Guardian (UK) (retrieved 6 Dec 2015):

     "Her work on the abuses being committed by the Rwandan government today made her something of a skunk at a global garden party," said Carroll Bogert, associate director of Human Rights Watch.

   • 2013 July 26, Martin Regg Cohn, "Premiers remain rebels without a common cause," Toronto Star (Canada) (retrieved 6 Dec 2015):

     It’s no fun being the skunk at a garden party. . . . But even after a glass of pan-Canadian beer . . . it must be said: The annual meeting of premiers, now known formally as the Council of the Federation, is a roundtable of rebels without a common cause.