Something to brag about

May 28th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

The verb “boast” means “to brag” or “to be proud about.” Some word people object to the second usage, either because they consider it a cliche or because they just don’t like it.

I have a fairly high tolerance for cliches, if they’re used properly. However, something like “the county boasts the state’s highest crime rate” fails the test.

If you’re going to use “boast,” at least tie it to something positive.

Entry Filed under: definitions, strict usage