IdiomAnimals
English
Englishin borrowed plumes
Meaning: Pretending to qualities or achievements that belong to someone else.
Example: “The speech was praised, but he was strutting in borrowed plumes; his assistant wrote it.”
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 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.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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