painted sheath: showy exterior. Obsolete.

An empty or idle boast; bombast, inflation of style, ‘hot air’; vanity, pride; showy adornment. Cf. huff and puff at huff, n. 1. Now rare or…

? Something showy but worthless.

An instance of this; a snobbish trait.

A toy horse made from plush. Also: the type of something ostentatious, luxurious, etc.; frequently in dressed (up) like (Mrs) Astor's plush horse and…

figurative. A big article of commonplace character.

(a) a confused or jumbled mess (cf. dog's breakfast n.); (b) dress or adornment that is over-elaborate or flashy (from like a (or the) dog's dinner…