to act like a gadgie
- idiom
- Offensive
:
hacer el fanfarrón
- He was acting like a gadgie at the party, bragging about his new car.
Examples
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Please don't act like a gadgie in front of my friends; it's embarrassing.
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She always acts like a gadgie when she's excited.
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She accused him of acting like a gadgie whenever he gets a little attention.
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Don't act like a gadgie at the party!
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He was acting like a gadgie by boasting about his achievements all night.
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You don't need to act like a gadgie just because you won a small prize.
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When he acts like a gadgie, it's hard to take him seriously.
Synonyms
191
2.7
To talk in a proud way about yourself or what you have
4
7.0
To act or speak in a proud, boastful way
Behave in a loud, showy way to get attention
To pretend to be tough or street-smart when you are not
Behave rudely and selfishly and annoy other people
Behave in a rude and stupid way
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
To behave in a rude and annoying way
Act in a rude, annoying way toward other people
To treat other people rudely and think only about yourself
To behave in a silly or annoying way
To behave in a silly, rude way and break rules
How Annoying
Surface Forms
Morphology
The structure 'act like a [noun]' is fully compositional: 'act' (behave) + 'like' (in the manner of) + 'a' + noun yields 'behave in the manner of that kind of person.' Therefore a B1 learner who knows the noun 'gadgie' (i.e. the type of person being referenced) can derive the meaning. Note: 'gadgie' itself is regional slang and may be unfamiliar, but the phrase's semantics are transparent once the constituent meanings are known.
Etymology
Act like a gadgie may come from an old Romani word gadgie that meant a man from outside the group. People used gadgie for men who were loud and liked to show off, so to act like a gadgie now means 'to behave in a boastful or annoying way'.