show off: meaning and explanation
to show off
to show off = to talk or act in a way that will attract attention to yourself. This phrasal verb has negative connotations - it is very annoying when people show off!
We can use this phrasal verb as a noun (a show off) to describe someone who shows off. e.g. Michael is such a show off.
to show something off
If you show something off to someone, you are proud of something and want other people to see it and appreciate it or admire it.
This could be used for objects, e.g. Matt likes to show off his collection of antique beer bottles to anyone who might be interested.
It could also be used with people, e.g. Apparently Charlotte was showing off her new boyfriend last night.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Dictation #1
Accent: North America
About the sentence
...She's always inviting guests around...
Do you feel like there is a difference between "she always invites guests around" and "she is always inviting guests around"?
One effect of using present continuous instead of present simple is to emphasise repetition. This can be used to communicate annoyance with something that someone does a lot, like a bad habit. e.g. Tom is always talking with his mouth full.
Dictation #2
Accent: Northern England
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Dictation #3
Accent: North America
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About the sentence
...I'm really getting tired of him showing off...
to be/get tired of sb/sth (doing sth) is a useful structure for complaining about people or things. e.g. I know he means well, but I'm getting a bit tired of Peter inviting me out to lunch every day.
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