Definition of: "class act" with explanation and origin
Definition of: class act with explanation and origin? Meaning of class act with examples in English idiom dictionary.
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Definition of: "class act" with explanation and origin
class act
class act
Meaning
- high-quality performance or display; additionally, the performer
- one who possesses a high degree of skill, ability, or style.
- high-quality performance or action.
- an exemplary method of doing any given task.
- (Sarcasm) Insisting that a person is overzealously performing an action.
Example Sentences
- LeBron James has truly been a class act in basketball long before he entered the NBA.
- Teresa received a well-deserved promotion after exhibiting class act knowledge of the industry.
- The film drama show hailed as a class act failed to become a great hit.
- (Sarcasm) “The new guy is a real class act. We’ll see how long he can keep it up.”
Origin
Understanding the root of the idiom “class act” begins with understanding the evolution of the word “class”. In the 17th century, the term “class” was used to define status within a divided society. This use of the word is still common today, accompanied by the terms “higher, ” “middle,” “lower, ” and “working.”
It wasn’t until 1874 that the definition gained new usage in print. John C. Hotten’s Dictionary of Modern Slang, Can’t, and Vulgar Words defined “class” as “The highest quality or combination of highest qualities among athletes.”
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th edition), defines “class” informally as “Elegance of style, taste, and manner.”
One internet source suggests that the idiom, in its entirety, dates back to 1976. However, no one cites the exact origin.
The Origins of class act
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Related Dictionary
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English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
