in borrowed plumes
Meaning: Pretending to qualities or achievements that belong to someone else.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The speech was praised, but he was strutting in borrowed plumes; his assistant wrote it.”
Category: Animals
Origin: From Aesop's fable of the jackdaw (or crow) who dressed in feathers dropped by peacocks to pass for one, and was stripped of them.
Equivalents in other languages
- Swedish: lysa med lånta fjädrar — literally: to shine with borrowed feathers
More idioms — Animals
- not my circus, not my monkeys — It's not my problem, so I'm staying out of it.
- birds of a feather flock together — People with similar interests or character tend to spend time together.
- a bird-brain — A silly or scatterbrained person.
- no room to swing a cat — A very small or cramped space.
- a snake in the grass — A treacherous person who pretends to be a friend.
- shut the stable door after the horse has bolted — To take precautions only after the harm is done.
More English idioms
- come in handy — To be useful when needed.
- like two peas in a pod — Very similar in looks or character.
- put someone in their place — To remind someone firmly that they are not as important as they think.
- play for high stakes — To take part in something where a great deal can be won or lost.
- take liberties — To behave too freely or presumptuously.
- cool as a cucumber — Very calm, especially under pressure.