to stand on ceremony
5
7.8
- idiom
:
ser formal
- There's no need to stand on ceremony at this informal gathering; just feel free to relax.
- never stand on ceremony
- need to stand on ceremony
- ever stood on ceremony
Examples
-
There is no need to stand on ceremony, no call to impress anyone.
-
We were relatives, so we did not need to stand on ceremony.
Fiction book (1998) -
No need to stand on ceremony on my account.
-
Let's not stand on ceremony.
Fiction book (1990) -
Emma, as usual, did not stand on ceremony.
Fiction book (1999) -
Don't stand on ceremony, come on in.
-
I will not stand on ceremony, Ferdinand.
-
Don't stand on ceremony, Rachel.
-
Listen, pussycat, you don't have to stand on ceremony with me, I promise you.
Fiction book (1992) -
Don't stand on ceremony.
Antonyms
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'ceremony' clearly signals formality, so a learner who knows the words might infer the expression relates to formal behaviour; however, the verb phrase 'stand on' here means 'insist on', which is an idiomatic extension rather than a literal physical meaning. The combination yields a partially predictable sense (domain of formality is clear) but the specific meaning 'insist on strict etiquette' is not fully derivable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom stand on ceremony comes from the image of someone who literally stands at a formal ceremony and will not move or break the rules. That's why it means 'to behave very formally' or 'insist on strict social rules'.