mutton dressed as lamb
Age-denying fashion
A British expression for an older person, almost always a woman, dressed or made up in a style considered too youthful for her age.
The phrase is dismissive and unkind, suggesting the attempt at youthfulness fools no one: She's mutton dressed as lamb in that miniskirt.
The image is of tough old sheep meat passed off as tender young lamb.
- seemerOne who appears deceptively
- ageismPrejudice targeting older people
- euphemismMild substitute for bluntness
- incongruousNot fitting together harmoniously
- idiomFixed phrase, opaque meaning
metaphor · pretense · age denial · colloquialism · expression · past your prime · inapt · saying · gender roles · maturity · self-perception · tasteless · fashion faux pas · societal expectations · unsuitable · figure · public scrutiny · fop
mutton dressed as lambage-appropriate
Suited to one's maturity
aging gracefully · distinguished · dignified · old soul · silver fox
mutton dressed as lambauthentic
Verified as original
genuine · unpretentious · true to oneself · comfortable in one's own skin · natural
mutton, dress, dressed, dressing, dresser, dresses, undress, undressed, lambing