Name-dropping (Noun)
Meaning
The practice of casually mentioning important people in order to impress your listener; "the hard thing about name-dropping is to avoid being too obvious about it".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- She tried to impress him by mentioning all the celebrities she had met, but he could see right through her name-dropping tactics.
- The politician's speech was filled with name-dropping, as he constantly referenced all the famous people who had attended his charity events.
- He fell into the trap of name-dropping during the interview, claiming that his college roommate was a famous entrepreneur, but the interviewer checked the facts and found it to be false.
- The gossip columnist was infamous for her subtle yet insidious name-dropping, casually weaving the names of A-list celebrities into even the most mundane conversations.
- At the dinner party, she started to indulge in some awkward name-dropping, trying to connect with her hosts by mentioning a mutual acquaintance who barely knew her.