Blow your own trumpet
Meaning
To boast or praise one's own abilities, achievements, or qualities excessively.
Origin
During medieval and Renaissance eras, the blare of a trumpet was a crucial signal for public attention, marking the arrival of royalty, the start of a tournament, or the proclamation of royal decrees. Heralds, acting as official spokespeople, would vigorously sound their trumpets to announce the presence and importance of a lord or the significance of an event. This was a clear, unambiguous act of publicizing. The idiom "blow your own trumpet" captures this vivid image, likening someone who boasts about their own achievements to a herald unilaterally announcing their own greatness, rather than waiting for others to sing their praises.
Examples
- It's good to be confident, but try not to constantly blow your own trumpet about every small success.
- After receiving the award, she was careful not to blow her own trumpet too much, preferring to let her work speak for itself.