drummer
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march to (the beat of) a different drummer
To do something or behave in a manner that does not conform to the standard, prevalent, or popular societal norm. My brother's eschewed the idea of a full-time career and has had every oddball job you could think of, but then he's always been happy marching to the beat of a different drummer.
march to a different beat
To do something, act, or behave in a manner that does not conform to the standard, prevalent, or popular societal norm. My brother's eschewed the idea of a full-time career and has had every oddball job you could think of, but then he's always been happy marching to a different beat. Look, I respect the fact that you like to march to a different beat, but do you have to make a point of doing everything in a contrarian way?
march to (the beat of) a different drummer
Fig. to believe in a different set of principles. John is marching to a different drummer, and he doesn't associate with us anymore. Since Sally started marching to the beat of a different drummer, she has had a lot of great new ideas.
march to a different beat
Also, march to a different drummer. Act independently, differ in conduct or ideas from most others, as in Joe wanted to be married on a mountain top-he always marches to a different beat, or Sarah has her own ideas for the campaign; she marches to a different drummer. This idiom, alluding to being out of step in a parade, is a version of Henry David Thoreau's statement in Walden (1854): "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." It came into wide use in the mid-1900s.
march to a different tune
BRITISH ormarch to a different drummer
mainly AMERICANIf someone marches to a different tune, they behave differently from most people or have different beliefs about what is morally right. Throughout his whole career, Clough marched to a different tune. As a player, Lindner has always marched to a different drummer. Note: You can also say that someone marches to the beat of a different drummer. He is a leader who marches to the beat of quite a different drummer.
march to (the beat of) a different tune (or drum or drummer)
consciously adopt a different approach or attitude to the majority of people; be unconventional. informalThe version with drummer comes ultimately from Henry David Thoreau's Walden ( 1854 ): ‘If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer’.
1997 New Scientist In formulating his ideas about the composition of the fundamental building blocks of matter…Sternglass has marched to the beat of an entirely different drum.