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to show one's butt

to show one's butt

9.9
To embarrass yourself by doing something awkward in front of other people
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : hacer el ridículo
  • After tripping on stage, she realized she had accidentally shown her butt to the entire audience.

Examples

  • He was so nervous during the speech that he ended up showing his butt in front of everyone.

  • Don't show your butt at the party tonight; try to stay calm and collected.

  • Don't show your butt in public!

  • He showed his butt during the party.

  • When he spilled his drink all over himself, he really showed his butt in front of his friends.

  • She didn't mean to show her butt during the presentation, but her nervousness got the better of her.

  • After making that embarrassing mistake at work, he felt that he had shown his butt to everyone.

Synonyms

to embarrass
vsto show one's butt
642 2.1

Make someone feel awkward or ashamed in front of others

focuses on exposing one's own awkward or shameful detail rather than causing others discomfort
to make an ass of oneself
vsto show one's butt
  • Offensive
7 8.5

To act in a way that makes you look foolish in front of others

tends to reveal an awkward or shameful personal detail rather than mere foolishness
to put foot in it
vsto show one's butt
  • UK
3 7.7

To say or do something embarrassing by accident

can expose an awkward or shameful fact about oneself
to stick one's foot in it
vsto show one's butt
  • UK
1 8.5

To say or do something embarrassing by accident

can expose an awkward or shameful personal detail rather than only accidental acts
to make a show of oneself
vsto show one's butt
  • Informal
1 7.5

To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way

is more about revealing an awkward or shameful personal fact than seeking attention
to put one's foot in one's mouth
vsto show one's butt
  • Informal
8.2

To say something embarrassing without meaning to

can expose an awkward or shameful fact rather than only spoken mistakes

Antonyms

To behave in a calm, proud way when facing difficulty

How Embarrassing

to humiliate
  • Offensive
414 6.1
to show one's butt
  • Informal
9.9
to slip up
  • Informal
27 4.1

Surface Forms

show one's butt infinitive
shown one's butt past participle
showing one's butt present participle
shows one's butt third person singular

Morphology

show + one + butt

The literal composition 'show' + 'one's' + 'butt' yields a clear image of exposing the buttocks, which naturally implies embarrassment, so a B1 learner who knows the words could plausibly infer the general idea of embarrassing oneself. However, the use as a figurative description of revealing an awkward trait or behaving shamefully is a metaphorical extension and can be ambiguous between literal and idiomatic readings, so the relation is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Show one's butt comes from the very literal image of someone turning and showing their butt to other people, a rude or surprising act. That's why it now means 'to embarrass yourself' or to act in a way that reveals something awkward or shameful about you.