grandstand \ ˈgran(d)-ˌstand \ noun and verbnoun: a stand at a racecourse or stadium consisting of tiers with rows of individual seats often found under a protective roof noun: the audience at a stadium or racetrack verb: perform ostentatiously in order to impress the audience and with an eye to the applause_________The word grandstand has appeared in 30 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on June 16 in “Conviction in the Philippines Reveals Facebook’s Dangers” by Shira Ovide:Members of Congress have been trying to get Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, to testify in an ongoing investigation into whether big technology companies wield their power fairly. Amazon’s lawyer said on Monday that Bezos was willing to appear at a House hearing alongside other C.E.O.s. (You’ll notice that is hardly an unqualified yes.) … What I’ve learned from congressional fact-finding sessions like this is that they are theater on both sides. Too often, our elected officials use these moments to grandstand or catch executives in a lie, and corporate leaders — just as powerful but unelected by the public — say things that might be technically true but not all that revealing.

Source: New York Times November 16, 2020 06:56 UTC