wear on one's sleeve

verb

Etymology

This phrase may derive from a mediaeval custom at jousting matches. Knights are said to have worn the colours of the lady they were supporting, in cloths or ribbons tied to their arms. The term does not date from that period though, and is first recorded in Shakespeare's Othello, 1604, in which the treacherous Iago's plan was to feign openness and vulnerability in order to appear faithful.

Definitions

  1. To express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's…

    To express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's public life.

    • But religion is the one thing they encourage you to wear on your sleeve.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for wear on one's sleeve. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA