blow out one's bags

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To talk in a boastful or overweening manner.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

After that Premiers came back from the Eastern States and blew out their bags, declaring that they had secured certain advantages, that they had obtained so many more million pounds to disburse.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “blow out one's bags” mean?

To talk in a boastful or overweening manner.

Is “blow out one's bags” formal or informal?

blow out one's bags is generally slang.