dog and pony show
noun
: an often elaborate public relations or sales presentation
also : an elaborate or overblown affair or event
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web This dog and pony show three months later is a cynical move, implying that those who make such decisions don’t believe Alabama or Auburn fans will show up for a basketball game if there’s no football connection. 
Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 13 Feb. 2020 That meant the company bypassed the dog and pony show that comes with more typical IPOs, in which companies reveal extensive financial information and work with a major bank to go public. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2020 This Scottish island group is a real dog and pony show. Ken Jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2018 What then transpired might have been one of the biggest dog and pony shows that amounted to nothing. Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, 22 June 2018 The annual dog and pony show that is the TV upfronts kicks off on Monday, but among the ticker tape cannons and smoke machines, this year’s bonanza also looks set to be shrouded in a cloud of confusion. Lara O’reilly, WSJ, 10 May 2018 Networks could save a lot of money (and embarrassment) by simply announcing their new slate of shows without the whole dog and pony show (which begins May 14 this year). Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, 25 Apr. 2018 Catie Turner Quirky, bespectacled Catie seemed amusing a few weeks back, at the onset of this dog and pony show. Robbie Daw, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2018 However, the dog and pony show also helps team's project where and when a player could be drafted. Peter Dawson, star-telegram, 6 Mar. 2018 See More
Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 13 Feb. 2020 That meant the company bypassed the dog and pony show that comes with more typical IPOs, in which companies reveal extensive financial information and work with a major bank to go public. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2020 This Scottish island group is a real dog and pony show. Ken Jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2018 What then transpired might have been one of the biggest dog and pony shows that amounted to nothing. Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, 22 June 2018 The annual dog and pony show that is the TV upfronts kicks off on Monday, but among the ticker tape cannons and smoke machines, this year’s bonanza also looks set to be shrouded in a cloud of confusion. Lara O’reilly, WSJ, 10 May 2018 Networks could save a lot of money (and embarrassment) by simply announcing their new slate of shows without the whole dog and pony show (which begins May 14 this year). Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, 25 Apr. 2018 Catie Turner Quirky, bespectacled Catie seemed amusing a few weeks back, at the onset of this dog and pony show. Robbie Daw, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2018 However, the dog and pony show also helps team's project where and when a player could be drafted. Peter Dawson, star-telegram, 6 Mar. 2018 See More Word History
First Known Use
1949, in the meaning defined above