# What exactly is "posing"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 16, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239 "2006-01-16T17:07:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239/1 "2006-01-16T17:07:06Z")

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I hear people use this word kind of often, and I know it’s negative.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239/2 "2006-01-16T17:25:11Z")

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Pretending to be something/someone you’re not.

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**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239/3 "2006-01-16T18:27:49Z")

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It’s very like the term [poseur](http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/poseur), except it can also mean that the person pretending has no business even attempting to be mistaken for what they are trying to seem to be. If that makes sense.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239/4 "2006-01-16T18:29:01Z")

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> [@Gary T](#):
>
> Pretending to be something/someone you’re not.

In one context, pretending to be more hip/cool/fabulous/etc. than one is. ‘He’s not all that. He’s a poser (or poseur).’

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-posing/340239/5 "2006-01-16T19:09:15Z")

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A quickie definition: Part time punks.

> [@](#):
>
> Originally from Mary Prankster’s ‘Punk Rock Heaven’
> 
> Baby, you’re a poser  
> Honey, I should know  
> You ask me where the shows are  
> But then you never go