Put up a show

Posted by Smokey Stover on July 25, 2007

In Reply to: Put on a show posted by Smokey Stover on July 24, 2007

: : What do 'worth his salt' and 'put on a show' mean?

: "Worth his salt" means worth his salary, worth his pay, or worth paying. Salary comes from salarius, the fixed payments that Roman soldiers received for buying salt (everyone needs salt).

: "Put on a show" needs context. You've probably heard the modern expression, "She turns everything into a drama." "Put on a show" COULD mean, depending on context, making an exaggerated production out of a simple explanation, or something else normally fairly simple, such as turning an apology into a production number, lacking only the orchestra. It could mean other things, like actually putting on a show.

There is also "put up a show." He puts up a brave show, but he's really quaking in his boots. Alternatively, he puts up a brave front, which is probably more common. She puts up a big show of hating his guts--actually, she's a pushover for him.
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