put on the ritz

Evokes the image of putting on extravagent clothing worthy of the luxurious Ritz Hotel in London, opened in 1906. Phrase in print by 1921.

• "The whole gang has put on the Ritz and are strutting about like a collection of pouter pigeons."
• "If you're blue and you don't know Where to go to Why don't you go where Harlem sits Puttin' on the Ritz. Spangled gowns Upon a bevy Of high browns From down the Levee, all misfits Puttin' on the Ritz."
• ""One of the most beautiful hotels to open in Florida in recent years, the Ritz-Carlton puts on the ritz but in subtle style, illustrating elegance without shouting about it.""