borrowed plumes
- noun
- Informal
:
plumas prestadas
- He was quick to criticize others who wore borrowed plumes instead of cultivating their own talents.
Examples
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She warned her students not to rely on borrowed plumes when presenting their projects.
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Her success was built on borrowed plumes from other artists.
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The artist's latest work seemed like it wore borrowed plumes, drawing heavily from earlier masters.
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He used borrowed plumes to impress the judges at the competition.
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The writer's success was attributed to borrowed plumes from the works of famous authors.
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Using borrowed plumes in her speech, she hoped to make her argument more convincing.
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Critics argued that his film relied too much on borrowed plumes from classic movies.
Synonyms
28
6.9
Taking something for yourself, often without permission
Antonyms
How Authentic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'borrowed' (taken from others) with 'plumes' (decorative feathers), so a learner who knows the words can infer the idea of using others' decorations to look better. However, mapping 'plumes' onto abstract qualities like reputation or achievements is a cultural/metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable without exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Borrowed plumes may come from a picture of a bird wearing borrowed plumes (feathers) taken from another bird to look more beautiful or important. That's why it means 'using someone else's achievements or praise to make yourself look better'.