phrase-requestssingle-word-requests
In a scenario where somebody is watching trees go past out of a window looking for something they might stop noticing details and then miss what they are looking for because they have become accustomed to the mass of detail going past them.
What is the term to describe this? Word or phrase.
word that describes ... type of phony "goody-two-shoes" type behavior
Merriam-Webster defines the adjective UNCTUOUS as used to describe someone who speaks and behaves in a way that is meant to seem friendly and polite but that is unpleasant because it is obviously not sincere unctuous. The poster child of an unctuous personality in “classic” American television (for those of us old enough to remember) was a character named Eddie Haskell (played to great effect by the actor, Ken Osmond) on “Leave It To Beaver” which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957, to 1958 and then on ABC from 1958 to 1963. The Beav’s dad, Ward Cleaver, once described Eddie as “so polite, it's almost un-American." The “mask" of an “unctuous" persona is worn to both avoid what is undesirable and to access what is desirable.
1) trying for a consolation goal
(sports) A goal scored by the losing team near the end of a game, that has no effect on the outcome. — wiktionary.
Person A had long since won the match, and person B was reduced to trying for a late consolation goal [or score or prize].
2) Also a consolation prize has similar connotations.
Edit
3) The Lib Dems are fighting a losing battle.
Best Answer
"her eyes glazed over"
Example: "I was staring at the puzzle so long that my eyes glazed over." The term is often used as an expression of boredom or tiredness. For example: "After one hour of looking at his travel pictures, each one accompanied by a long explanation, my eyes glazed over and my mind went numb."
The best reference to this phrase is another question on ELU: Isn’t “Eye-glazing” a popular word? Why isn’t it included in major English dictionaries?