ENGLISH
REFERENCE

not to brag

idiom
Meaning

Prepended to praise of oneself or one's own doings, as a form of modesty.


Origin

disputed origin

A reference to the fact that the speaker is about to say something boastful rather than modest.

Examples
SIMPLE

Not to brag, but I finished the project early.

CONTEXTUAL

Not to brag, but my garden looks better than it ever has this summer.

COMPLEX

Not to brag, but the committee selected my proposal over dozens of others for its unique approach to the problem.

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