grandstanding
verb

- done for show or to impress onlookers

- the action of behaving in a showy or ostentatious manner in an attempt to attract favourable attention from spectators or the media.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Languages

—
WORD ORIGIN

The noun "grandstanding" is derived from the verb "to grandstand", which originally referred to the act of playing or performing in a showy or ostentatious manner in order to impress spectators in the grandstand of a sports venue, where the most prominent and wealthiest spectators would sit.

The earliest known usage of "grandstanding" is cited in the Oxford English Dictionary from 1898 in the New York World newspaper.

The meaning has since extended metaphorically to describe any sort of showy, attention-seeking behaviour done for the purpose of impressing observers or an audience, not just in a literal sports context.

—
TRUMP’S GRANDSTANDING

- During his testimony in the $250 million fraud trial against his company, Donald Trump frequently went off on tangents and made "speeches" instead of directly answering questions. The judge had to repeatedly admonish him, saying "I beseech you to control him or I will" and "We're here to hear him answer the questions, not to hear speeches."

- With a net worth estimated at $7.1 billion in 2024, Trump often engages in boastful grandstanding about his wealth and properties. For example, in the fraud trial he waxed poetic about building "a very big ballroom, a big ballroom that was built by me, it was very large, very beautiful."

- Even Trump's hairstyle, with its infamous swoop and stiff immobility, has been described as a form of grandstanding - an attention-grabbing identity marker meant to project power and dominance.

Trump's grandstanding appears driven by a desire to be the center of attention, flaunt his wealth and success, and provoke reactions from critics and supporters alike. Such behaviour is a core part of his personal brand, regardless of situation or setting.

—
SYNONYMS

blowing own trumpet, boasting, bragging, chest-beating (-pounding, -thumping), crowing, demagoguing, drawing attention to oneself, flaunting, flexing biceps, gasconade, GRANDSTANDING, hogging the limelight, loudmouthing, parading, playing to the gallery, posing, posturing, preening, puffing up, putting on airs, rodomontade, self-aggrandizing, showboating, showing off, strutting, swaggering, tooting one’s horn

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“Psychological research suggests that GRANDSTANDING arises from a narcissistic need to boost social status and gain admiration—either through prestige-seeking by portraying moral superiority, or through dominance-seeking by shaming and intimidating rivals.”

—
THANKS to Johannes for suggesting today's word.

—
Why Support OWAD?

On evenings and weekends, I research and write your daily OWAD newsletter together with Helga (my lovely wife and business partner) and our eagle-eyed daughter Jennifer. It remains FREE, AD-FREE, and ALIVE thanks to voluntary donations from appreciative readers.

If you aren’t already, please consider supporting us — even a small donation, equivalent to just 1-cup-of-coffee a month, would help us in covering expenses for mailing, site-hosting, maintenance, and service.

Just head over to DonorBox:
https://donorbox.org/owad-q4-2023-5

or

Bank transfer:
Paul Smith
IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40

Important: please state as ‘Verwendungszweck’: “OWAD donation” and the email address used to subscribe to OWAD.

Thanks so much,

Paul Smith
(OWAD-Founder)