put on frills
To act in a pretentious or snobbish way.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He likes to put on frills when he talks to his neighbors.”
“She started to put on frills after her promotion, acting as if she were better than her old friends.”
“Despite his humble beginnings, he began to put on frills at social gatherings, adopting an affected accent and looking down upon those he once called peers.”
- 01
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 02
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
- 03
put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 04
put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
- 05
put a bug in someone's ear
To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.
- 06
put a damper on
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
- 07
put a foot wrong
To make a mistake.
- 08
put a gun to someone's head
To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.
Last updated August 10, 2026