showboatn.adj.
/ˈʃəʊbəʊt/, U.S. /ˈʃoʊˌboʊt/ Originally U.S.
A. n.
1. In the United States: a river steamboat used to host theatrical performances, esp. at settlements along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > pleasure vessel > [noun] > pleasure-steamer > on which performances are given
showboat1839
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > [noun] > other types of theatre
little theatre1569
private house1604
private playhouse1609
amphitheatre1611
private theatre1633
droll-house1705
summer theatre1761
show shop1772
national theatre1816
minor1821
legitimate1826
patent house1827
patent theatre1836
showboat1839
music theatre1849
penny-gaff1856
saloon theatre1864
leg shop1871
people's theatre1873
nickelodeon1888
repertory theatre1891
studio theatre1891
legit1897
blood-tub1906
rep1906
small-timer1910
grind house1923
theatrette1927
indie1928
vaude1933
straw hat1935
theatre-in-the-round1948
straw-hatter1949
bughouse1952
theatre-restaurant1958
dinner theatre1959
theatre club1961
black box1971
pub theatre1971
performance space1972
1839 Acts Gen. Assembly Kentucky Dec. 1838 210 They shall also have power to tax any theatre, show boat, or other exhibition on the river.
1869 Atlantic Monthly July 85/1 The little steamer Banjo, a show-boat belonging to Dr. Spaulding, the manager of the Floating Palace, was advertised to be at Cape Girardeau.
1926 E. Ferber Show Boat i. 13 Eager for entertainment as the dwellers were along the little Illinois and Missouri town,..they came sparsely to the show boat.
1952 M. Allingham Tiger in Smoke v. 88 Lighted buses crawling by looked as big as showboats.
1977 N. Adam Triplehip Cracksman xii. 124 They were a mixed bunch..drinker..showboat gambler.
2007 J. M. Hay Rivers Revealed xiv. 193 The showboats brought entertainment and culture to river communities that could not offer such things.
2. colloquial. A person who seeks to attract attention or gain approval through ostentatious display or exaggerated behaviour; an exhibitionist, a show-off; esp. an athlete or musician who makes impressive but unnecessary displays of skill.Originally as an epithet of particular athletes.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > [noun] > ostentatious person
peacocka1425
ruffler1536
struttera1591
flaunter1598
glisterer1628
tulip1647
parader1747
swasher1821
swash1824
dazzler1839
rooster1840
show-off1841
swankera1846
Vanity-Fairian1847
grandstander1896
spotlighter1907
swank1913
swankpot1914
showboat1932
showboater1941
pavisander1950
1932 Montana Standard 15 May Ray Krause..will train..in preparation for his 10-round main event next Friday opposing ‘Showboat’ Ray McQuillan... He..does not give a whoop about the reputation of the Showboat.
1933 Raleigh (W. Va.) Reg. May 4 George ‘Showboat’ Fisher of the Brewers still visions another trip to the majors... The Showboat has never hit less than .300 as a regular.
1953 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang (1954) §402/2 Pretentious person,..show-off, show boat.
1960 Life 22 Feb. 68/2 Bones was a star forward and a showboat as well.
1990 S. King Stand (rev. ed.) ii. xliv. 449 Not the kind of guitar player that caught your eye, no showboat like Angus Young or Eddie Van Halen, but competent.
2001 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 24 Feb. d1 Jackson had been seen as a showboat, from wayward flashy passes to going into a goofy, arms-spread, kamikaze-like dive.
B. adj. (attributive).
colloquial. Characterized by or given to performing or showing off; ostentatious, exhibitionist.
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the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > [adjective]
rankOE
peacockly?a1425
ruffling1531
garish1545
peacockish1551
peacock-like1576
ostentatious1590
fastuous?1591
flaring1593
flantitanting1596
ostentive1599
ostentative1601
showful1607
flourishable1614
flourishing1616
flaunting1624
ostentous1624
ostentatory1638
swasha1640
fanfaron1670
paradeful1748
ostensible1782
epideictic1790
fandangous1797
flashy1801
affiché1818
show-off1818
splashing1820
flaunty1825
splash-and-dash1830
pretentious1832
flash1836
splashy1836
pretenceful1841
swanky1842
peacocky1844
fantysheeny1847
splurgy1852
cheesy1858
pretensivea1868
duchessy1870
swagger1879
lavish1882
splurging1884
show-offy1890
razzmatazz1900
show-offish1903
whoop-de-do1904
Ritz1908
split-arse1917
swanking1918
ritzy1919
fantoosh1920
knock-me-down1922
showboating1936
showboat1939
hellzapoppin'1945
zazzy1961
glitzy1966
sploshy1966
zhuzhy1968
noncy1989
bling1999
1939 Washington Post 17 May 19/1 In the uniform of the Tigers, he's still the same showboat guy who served with the Nats.
1954 Hearing before Comm. Un-Amer. Activities (83rd U.S. Congr., 2nd Sess.) IV. x. 5739 You went through this showboat antic, sir, several days ago.
1972 H. D. Babbidge Fitted to Burden ii. 67 I don't expect the hot-rod, showboat high school athlete..to quit shopping around for the ‘free ride’.
1998 Calgary (Alberta) Herald (Nexis) 8 Nov. a2 ‘She just quietly goes about her business,’ said one Conservative, noting that showboat type MLAs never go far in caucus.
2009 Star (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 30 Mar. 7 The culture is dominated by ostentatious and showboat parenting.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
showboatv.
/ˈʃəʊbəʊt/, U.S. /ˈʃoʊˌboʊt/ Originally U.S.
1. intransitive. To present a theatrical performance on a showboat (showboat n. 1). rare (now historical).
ΚΠ
1930 Dunkirk (N.Y.) Evening Observer 12 Feb. 3/4 I was barnstorming and showboating considerable in the nineties.
1950 Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail 17 Mar. 5/1 He has been showboating up and down the Mississippi and its tributaries for 40 years.
1978 J. Csida & J. B. Csida Amer. Entertainm. i. 21/2 Soon similar theatrical companies were ‘showboating’ up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers as well.
2. intransitive. colloquial. To display one's abilities, knowledge, etc., ostentatiously; to behave in a way intended to attract attention or gain approval; to show off; spec. (esp. of an athlete or musician) to make an impressive but unnecessary display of skill. Also transitive: to make an ostentatious display of (oneself, one's abilities, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > make ostentatious display or show off [verb (intransitive)]
brandishc1340
ruffle1484
braga1556
swash1556
flourish1563
flaunt1566
prank1567
prink1573
to shake, wag the feather1581
peacockize1598
air1605
display1608
to launch it out1608
flasha1616
to cut it out1619
flare1633
vapour1652
peacock1654
spark1676
to gallantrize it1693
bosh1709
glare1712
to cut a bosh1726
to show away1728
to figure away, off1749
parade1749
to cut a dashc1771
dash1786
to cut up1787
to cut a flash1795
to make, or cut, a splash1804
swank1809
to come out strong1825
to cut a spludge1831
to cut it (too) fat1836
pavonize1838
splurge1844
to do the grand1847
to cut a swath1848
to cut a splurge1860
to fan out1860
spread1860
skyre1871
fluster1876
to strut one's stuff1926
showboat1937
floss1938
style1968
the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > make ostentatious display of [verb (transitive)]
flourishc1380
show1509
ostent1531
ostentatec1540
to ruffle it1551
to brave out1581
vaunt1590
boasta1592
venditate1600
to make the most ofa1627
display1628
to make (a) parade of1656
pride1667
sport1684
to show off1750
flash1785
afficher1814
affiche1817
parade1818
flaunt1822
air1867
showboat1937
ponce1953
rock1987
the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > make ostentatious display [verb (reflexive)]
to feat oneself fortha1400
peacocka1586
venditate1600
air1828
overplume1890
spread1891
showboat1984
1937 Washington Post 14 June 14/2 Zeke Bonura..show-boated around the bases behind Walker to score the Sox's eighth run of the inning.
1969 Time 31 Jan. 75/2 The 98-year-old ballet is traditionally noted for..the opportunity it affords a ballerina to showboat her versatility.
1981 J. D. MacDonald Free Fall in Crimson x. 111 He was a good officer. He didn't showboat and draw fire.
1984 N.Y. Post 7 Feb. 48/2 Opal Stone always prefers to ‘showboat’ herself.
2003 Eastern Eye 14 Feb. 78/1 The opener showboated when taking the most routine of catches.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.adj.1839v.1930