camp it up

Idioms  

1. Make an extravagant, affected, or vulgar display, as in Amateur actors often camp it up, trying to be more dramatic. Originating in the 1950s as slang for flamboyant behavior stereotypically associated with gay men, this term began to be used more loosely by about 1970. Also see ham it up.

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Example Sentences

They acquired footage from National Geographic but were mindful not to camp it up.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 1, 2017

“I used to camp it up something terrible when we played the song,” he says.

From The Guardian • Jun. 14, 2016

If you’re hanging with your sister queens, you’re going to camp it up, and if you’re presenting a PowerPoint for a big marketing project, you’re probably not going to.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2015

Watching accomplished Rep actors Timothy McCuen Piggee and Michael Place totter awkwardly on high heels, and camp it up in a style they clearly haven't mastered, isn't a highlight.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 19, 2012

Tune In for A Fight Unless you're familiar with New York City's burlesque scene, you may not know about the Glamazons, a troupe of plus-size female dancers who like to camp it up around town.

From Time Magazine Archive