grass tops

See also: grasstops and grass-tops

English

WOTD – 7 August 2016

Blades of grass

Alternative forms

• grass-tops
• grasstops

Etymology

From grass + tops, by analogy with grassroots.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɑːstɒps/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæstɑps/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: grass‧tops

Adjective

grass tops (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Of, related to, or involving local influential figures.
   • 1998, Dan Clawson, Alan Neustadtl, Mark Weller, Dollars and Votes: How Business Campaign Contributions Subvert Democracy, Philadelphia, Pa.: Temple University Press, →ISBN, page 12:

     Along with the ads, industry worked to mobilize local politicians and business executives in what business groups called a "grass tops" campaign.

   • 2003 November 6, Cara Gardner, “Prepping for surgery”, in The Pacific Northwest Inlander‎^[1], archived from the original on 26 September 2015:

     "Some of the work is grassroots," he said, "and some of it is grass-tops – like this summit."

   • 2007 November 12, Carla Marinucci, “Obama’s team oozes optimism”, in San Francisco Chronicle‎^[2], archived from the original on 4 August 2016:

     [Mitchell] Schwartz said [Hillary] Clinton's campaign in California – which has been heavy on endorsements and organization – is more "grasstops" than "grassroots," while the Illinois senator [Barack Obama] has "a campaign of inspiration and not obligation."

   • 2015, James E. Anderson, “The Policy-makers and Their Environment”, in Public Policymaking: An Introduction, 8th edition, Stamford, Ct.: Cengage Learning, →ISBN, page 64:

     In recent years, groups have made considerable use of "outside lobbying" techniques, which try to persuade ordinary citizens to serve as their frontline advocates. Prominent here are "grass-roots" and "grass-tops" lobbying. […] Grass-tops lobbying strives to favorably energize an elite rather than the masses.

Noun

grass tops pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) People in a position of power or influence at a local level.
   • 2007, David G. Smith, Judith D. Moore, Medicaid Politics and Policy, 1965–2007, New Brunswick, N.J., London: Transaction Publishers, →ISBN, page 234:

     They also had important connections to advocacy groups and the local "grass tops."

   • 2012 December 3, Sophie Yan, “New group seeks to incite political action”, in The Brown Daily Herald‎^[3], archived from the original on 10 March 2019:

     "We are grassroots, not grass-tops," Kaplan said, meaning Common Sense Action seeks the opinions of all members regardless of leadership status within the group.

Noun

grass tops

1. plural of grass top.

Antonyms

• grass roots