to show oneself in the right light
- idiom
:
presentarse de la mejor manera
- He made sure to show himself in the right light when meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time.
Examples
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In an interview, it's important to show oneself in the right light to stand out among other candidates.
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Athletes often try to show themselves in the right light to sponsors and media.
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You should show yourself in the right light during the interview!
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It's important to show oneself in the right light at work.
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He made sure to show himself in the right light when meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time.
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In an interview, it's important to show oneself in the right light to stand out among other candidates.
-
Athletes often try to show themselves in the right light to sponsors and media.
Synonyms
43
5.3
To show yourself as a certain kind of person to make others think that way
10
6.8
To show your skills and good points to get opportunities
To do well in front of others in a difficult situation
Express your ideas and personality clearly so others understand you
How Favorable
Surface Forms
Morphology
show + oneself + in + the + right + light
The meaning is directly compositional: 'show' (present) + 'oneself' (yourself) + 'in the right light' (in a favorable perspective), so the overall sense of presenting oneself positively follows from the constituents. The metaphorical use of 'light' for appearance or perspective is common and cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows the individual words can reliably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase show oneself in the right light comes from the simple image of standing where the right light makes you look better—artists and photographers put people in good light to hide flaws and show their best features. So, it means 'to present oneself in a way that makes a good impression'.