THE FIRST WORD

standpat

PRONUNCIATION:

(STAND-pat) 

MEANING:

adjective: Refusing to consider change in one's beliefs and opinions, especially in politics.
noun: One who refuses to consider change.

ETYMOLOGY:

In a game of poker, to stand pat is to play one's hand as dealt, without drawing other cards. From pat (apt). Earliest documented use: 1910.

USAGE:

"This activism, rather than Mr Harper's standpat response, resonates with the average Canadian, says Nik Nanos, a pollster."
Please Have the Decency to Panic; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 11, 2008.