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• dog and pony show
  dog and pony show

  noun

  an elaborate sales, advertising, or publicity presentation or campaign.
• dog-and-pony show
  dog-and-pony show

  An elaborate presentation to gain approval for a product or policy. For example, The administration loved putting on a dog-and-pony show for every minor change of policy. This term alludes to a traveling variety show. [1950s]

dog and pony show

American  

noun

Informal.

1. an elaborate sales, advertising, or publicity presentation or campaign.

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dog-and-pony show Idioms  

1. An elaborate presentation to gain approval for a product or policy. For example, The administration loved putting on a dog-and-pony show for every minor change of policy. This term alludes to a traveling variety show. [1950s]

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Etymology

Origin of dog and pony show

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“One of the hardest things was to say to the mine, ‘Hey, your dog and pony show isn’t lining up with what we’re seeing,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2023

Smollett told Fox News that he is innocent while entering the court, referring to the proceedings he was about to participate in as a "dog and pony show."

From Fox News • Jul. 14, 2021

So … how will it be helpful for them to Zoom into class on days when I’m focused on the in-person students and not able to do my usual dog and pony show?

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2021

“Why are they doing this whole dog and pony show? Amazon wants something for nothing,” said Matthew Gardner, a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think tank.

From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2017

This was one dog and pony show I did not need to witness, no matter how good the seats.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman