put on airs

English

Verb

put on airs

1. (idiomatic) To become haughty, to assume a pretentious manner.
   • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit:

     Even Timothy, the jointed wooden lion, who was made by the disabled soldiers, and should have had broader views, put on airs and pretended he was connected with Government.

Translations

become haughty, assume a haughty manner

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 擺架子 (cmn), 摆架子 (cmn) (bǎijiàzi), 擺譜兒 (cmn), 摆谱儿 (cmn) (bǎipǔr)

• Finnish: mahtailla (fi)
• French: donner des airs (fr), prendre des airs (fr)
• German: sich spreizen (de)

• Icelandic: gera sig merkilegan, setja upp hátíðarsvip, snúa upp á sig
• Japanese: 体裁振る (ja) (ていさいぶる, teisai-buru), 見栄をはる (ja) (みえをはる, mie-o haru)
• Jèrriais: faithe la reine
• Russian: важничать (ru) (vážničat') 
• Spanish: darse aires (es)

See also

• lord it over

Anagrams

• Proustian, supinator