Ivory Tower

Intermediate 🎓 Education / Academia

Definition

A metaphor for the academic world's disconnection from practical reality, where scholars debate theoretical frameworks while the building's plumbing hasn't worked since 1987. It's called ivory because it's expensive, fragile, and increasingly difficult to justify.

Example Usage

"From his ivory tower, the professor published a groundbreaking paper on income inequality, then drove his Tesla to his lakehouse."

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