mag-alsa sa kaugalingong bangko
Cebuano
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From mag-alsa (“to lift; to raise”) (from Spanish alzar), sa (“of; one's own”), and kaugalingon (“self; own”) + bangko (“bench; chair”) (from Spanish banco).
Literally: "To lift one's own bench."
Verb
[edit]mag-alsa sa kaugalingong bangko (Badlit spelling ᜋᜄ᜔ᜀᜎ᜔ᜐ ᜐ ᜃᜂᜄᜎᜒᜅᜓᜅ᜔ ᜊᜅ᜔ᜃᜓ)
- (idiomatic, colloquial, derogatory) to toot one's own horn; to blow one's own trumpet; to self-aggrandize. Used to describe someone who shamelessly praises themselves, boasts about their own achievements, or brags about their virtues because nobody else is doing it for them.
- Sige lang kag alsa sa imong kaugalingong bangko, unya wa man gani kay agi.
- You keep blowing your own trumpet, yet you don't even have any actual results to show for it.
Usage notes
[edit]- The phrase is the exact Cebuano equivalent and literal translation of the popular Tagalog idiom magbuhat ng sariling bangko. Both expressions share identical imagery: picture a person sitting on a heavy wooden bench (bangko). Instead of waiting for others to carry them high or praise them, they desperately try to lift the very bench they are sitting on to elevate themselves above everyone else.
- In Filipino culture, humility is highly valued, and overt bragging is quickly met with irritation or mockery. When someone is called out for mag-alsa sa kaugalingong bangko, it implies that their self-praise is tacky and unprompted. It is the ultimate linguistic reality check for narcissists.
Related terms
[edit]- alsa (to lift; to carry upward)
- kaugalingon (self; independent; own)
- bangko (bench; long stool)