letters after one's name
A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honors achieved by a person.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She has many impressive letters after her name.”
“The professor insisted on having all the letters after his name printed on his business cards.”
“Despite the long list of letters after his name, he struggled to explain the basic concepts of his field to the students.”
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026