Question: At the beginning, Dolittle was scared because a boy broke in his territory, so he says to Chee-Chee, "Possum, play dead." Why does he call the gorilla possum? Chee-Chee is a gorilla, not a possum. Also Possum is not his name nor nickname.
Brian Katcher
3rd Feb 2022
Dolittle (2020)
Answer: Opossums will go into a state where they appear dead when threatened, thus the term "playing possum." Dolittle was just saying to act like a opossum and play dead.
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Answer: 'Playing possum' is slang for pretending to be dead, as possums sometimes do that to avoid predators.
Brian Katcher