Meaning & use
putting on the dog
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformalold-fashioned
Behaving in a way that is meant to impress others, especially by acting richer or more important than you really are.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; it describes an action, not a thing. It is not usually followed by an object.
Patterns
- be putting on the dog
- put on the dog for someone
Whenever her wealthy cousins visit, she starts putting on the dog and talks about her expensive vacations.
He was putting on the dog at the party, pretending he knew famous people.
Stop putting on the dog; everyone here knows you are just a regular person.
Common combinations
- putting on the dog for someone
- They were putting on the dog for the new neighbors, serving fancy food they couldn't afford.
- stop putting on the dog
- Just stop putting on the dog and be yourself.
- putting on the dog with something
- He was putting on the dog with his new car, but it was actually a rental.
Synonyms and how they differ
- showing off
- This is the modern, neutral way to say it; 'putting on the dog' sounds older and more specific to pretending to be rich or important.
- putting on airs
- This means acting superior or snobbish, while 'putting on the dog' often focuses on displaying wealth or status.
- boasting
- Boasting is about talking proudly about yourself; 'putting on the dog' can include actions and appearances, not just words.
Opposites
Commonly confused: putting on the dog or putting on the dog?
putting on the dog vs putting on the dog
Some learners might think it means putting clothes on a dog or walking a dog, but it is an idiom about showing off.
Practice
What does 'putting on the dog' mean in the sentence: 'At the reunion, he was putting on the dog, talking about his expensive watch and his new boat'?
Choose one answer.
The context of talking about expensive items shows he is trying to impress others, which is the meaning of 'putting on the dog.' Option An is literal and wrong; option C is the opposite; option D is not the main meaning, though lying could be part of it, the core idea is showing off.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “putting on the dog”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.