tall poppy

Etymology
A metaphor of something conspicuous that should be lopped. Australian from 1902.

Noun

 * 1)  A conspicuously successful person, especially one who attracts envious hostility.
 * 2) * 1999 June 1, Polly Schneider, Australia Unbound, CIO, |%22tall+poppies%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&source=bl&ots=TK9iuxP0o5&sig=2vg0U-pnmF3cthm639CCeAHr1jQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wjN4UK2TCtGwiQevnYHADg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22tall%20poppy%22|%22tall%20poppies%22%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false page 43,
 * Like many thriving, young Australian execs, Simpson has to be wary of being construed a “tall poppy,” a cultural label placed on people who flaunt their success, based on the idea that a poppy taller than the others gets chopped down.
 * Like many thriving, young Australian execs, Simpson has to be wary of being construed a “tall poppy,” a cultural label placed on people who flaunt their success, based on the idea that a poppy taller than the others gets chopped down.