to put on the dog
1
9.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
fingir ostentación
- He always puts on the dog when he attends formal events, wearing his best suit and showing off his expensive watch.
Examples
-
Now we've got to put on the dog for this.
-
So I can really put on the dog, maybe I should change first.
Fiction book (1996) -
Put on the dog for them.
-
Well, we don't put on the dog up here.
-
Ooh, if I'd known company was comin', I'd have put on the dog.
-
Now if you're gonna get up there and sing, you're gonna have to put on the dog a little.
-
To impress the guests at the party, she decided to put on the dog with lavish decorations and gourmet food.
-
During the charity gala, the organizers really put on the dog to make the evening memorable for everyone.
Synonyms
216
3.2
To act proudly to get attention or praise
62
5.7
To show something in a very obvious way to get attention
54
6.5
To act in a way that is not natural to impress others
12
7.7
To show off something to impress other people, often on social media
10
7.7
To pretend to be more important or clever than you are
4
8.4
Act as if you are better than other people
3
7.7
To confidently show your skills or style to impress people
1
7.5
Act in a flashy way to get attention
1
8.1
To dress or act in a very showy way to attract attention
1
8.9
To make something or someone look bright and showy to attract attention
1
8.3
To show off your clothes or things to seem important
1
7.5
To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way
Act in a loud way to get attention and impress people
To show off expensive things, like a watch or car, to impress other people
Antonyms
How Showy
- Informal
1
9.9
62
5.7
- Informal
216
3.2
47
3.9
178
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
put + on + the + dog
The meaning 'to behave in a showy or ostentatious manner' cannot be derived from the literal senses of 'put', 'on' and 'dog'—the animal 'dog' is not used in a compositional, predictable way. Although 'put on' can mean 'pretend' or 'wear', the full expression is an idiom whose meaning is culturally established rather than transparently built from its parts, so a B1 learner knowing the individual words would likely not infer the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Put on the dog may come from the image of someone putting on a very fancy coat or outfit to show off. That's why put on the dog means 'to act showy or try to impress others'.