lonely

a lonely little petunia in an onion patch

One who is out of place among those one finds unpleasant, uncouth, or overly aggressive. Taken from a 1946 song of the same name by Johnny Kimano, Billy Faber, and Maurie Hartmann. I'm feeling really uncomfortable in this rowdy sports bar, like a lonely little petunia in an onion patch.
See also: little, lonely, onion, patch

plough a lone(ly) furrow

To do something in isolation; to act without the help of others. Primarily heard in UK. I tried to offer Jonathan help with the project, but he'd rather plough a lone furrow.
See also: furrow, plough
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

plough a lonely furrow

or

plough a lone furrow

BRITISH, LITERARY
If someone ploughs a lonely furrow or ploughs a lone furrow, they do something by themselves and in their own way, without any help or support from other people. It seems that Shattock was something of an original thinker, ploughing a lonely furrow. Stein sandwich bar continues to plough a lone furrow as the building's only occupant. Note: This expression is very variable. Their government is more than adept at ploughing its own diplomatic furrow. Note: A furrow is a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plough.
See also: furrow, lonely, plough
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

plough a lonely (or your own) furrow

follow a course of action in which you are isolated or in which you can act independently.
See also: furrow, lonely, plough
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌplough a lonely, your own, etc. ˈfurrow

(literary) do things that other people do not do, or be interested in things that other people are not interested in: There are several English teachers at the school, but Jeanne continues to plough a lonely furrow, teaching French and German.
A furrow is a long narrow cut in the ground made by a plough (= a large piece of farming equipment used for cutting the soil).
See also: furrow, plough
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • 1FTR
  • drive (one) out of office
  • force (one) out of office
  • force out of office
  • give (one) (one's) head
  • give head
  • give somebody their head
  • give someone their head
  • cooking for one
  • deep water
References in classic literature
Happy sounds were heard in his once lonely home, and bright faces gathered round his knee, and listened tenderly while he strove to tell them all the good that gentleness and love had done for him.
Then went the Elves into the dreary prison-houses, where sad hearts pined in lonely sorrow for the joy and freedom they had lost.
Long Eva watched their shining wings, and listened to the music of their voices as they flew singing home, and when at length the last little form had vanished among the clouds, she saw that all around her where the Elves had been, the fairest flowers had sprung up, and the lonely brook-side was a blooming garden.
Flower Fables
M2 PRESSWIRE-August 29, 2019-: There is a new app that can help the lonely get together - it's called Socializer.
There is a new app that can help the lonely get together - it's called Socializer
They used a new method of analysing loneliness that looks at how often people said they felt lonely, how long the feeling of loneliness lasted and how intense it was, each aspect rated by the participants from 1 to 5.
University of Exeter: The middle aged are lonelier than older and younger people
UNPAID carers are seven times more likely to be lonely compared with the general public, new figures suggest.
Research highlights the lonely life led by many unpaid carers
MORE than half of people living in Newcastle feel lonely, according to a new survey.
Toon's a lonely city - poll
The survey also found 42% of people in Newcastle said not wanting to burden other people with their problems was a reason for why they would not talk to someone if they felt lonely.
More than half admit to feeling lonely - survey
New York, NY, April 23, 2019 --(PR.com)-- The Lonely Entrepreneur announced today the launch of its non-profit to empower women, minorities, youth and those less fortunate with the entrepreneurial skills they'll need to succeed in today's hypercompetitive world.
The Lonely Entrepreneur[R] Launches 501(c)(3) Non-Profit to Empower Entrepreneurs Worldwide
9 April 2019 - US-based travel media company Lonely Planet has acquired Trill Travel, allowing the brand to convert influencers' digital content into bookable experiences, the company said.
Lonely Planet Acquires AI-Tech Travel Start-Up Trill Travel
To attract and incentivize influencers, Lonely Planet will also adopt Trill's revenue share model, which automatically pays out commissions for confirmed bookings tied to each individual post.
Lonely Planet Acquires AI-Tech Travel Start-Up Trill Travel
After receiving backlash on social media for publishing a video claiming that the world famous Banaue Rice Terraces was built by the Chinese, travel guide Lonely Planet on Monday evening recognized its mistake, saying the controversial video was 'misleading'.
Lonely Planet admits error in Banaue Rice Terraces video 'misleading'
Harley Rustad; BIG LONELY DOUG; House of Anansi (Nonfiction: Ecology & Environment) 18.95 ISBN: 9781487003111
Big Lonely Doug; The Story of One of Canada's Last Great Trees
MORE than one in 10 people are lonely and often go more than a week without any human contact.
HOME ALONE; 1 in 10 Brits go more than a week without human contact; Huge number say they will be lonely over festive period; 52% of young people find it tough to make new friends; EXCLUSIVE