A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

shouting head • talking head
shouting head —(derog., also: barking head) a television com-
mentator who speaks in a loud voice and whose comments
tend to be aggressive: We have instead shouting heads trying
to interrupt each other to get their talking points across.
talking head —a television commentator whose upper body
is all that is shown on the screen: Former TV talking head Jim
Compton did not respond to the Weekly’s request for an inter-
view.
show a face • show one’s face
show a face —(dated) demonstrate bravery or audacity: De
la Haye and Douglas were both wounded, but the little party
continued to show a face to their foes.
show one’s face —(often negat.) appear somewhere, especially
when one is not welcome in a place: After what she said, she
had better not show her face around here again.
show girl • showman
show girl —
1
. a chorus girl in a musical comedy; an actress
in a nightclub show: He found it hard to believe that she was
an actress, and a show girl at that. 2. a woman employed in the
showrooms of dress-makers, shops, etc., to show off clothes:
Not the least interesting thing about these parades is that
among the show girls are many well-known titled heiresses.
showman —
1
. the producer of a play or other theatrical show:
Cole credits his management skills in part to legendary pro-
ducer David Merrick, dubbed “the abominable show man.”
2. a man who performs in a public show or spectacle: Some
young musicians who have established themselves in the first
rank are excellent showmen. 3. (pejor.) a man who performs
in sports, politics, etc. with a display of pose and affectation:
He is a consummate political showman whose critics say he
has more style than substance.
show must go on, the • stop the show
show must go on, the —is used to say that an activity must
continue no matter what unfortunate event has occurred: She
may never perform again, perhaps her back is broken but the
show must go on.
stop the show —(of an actor, singer, etc.) give an outstanding
performance: Twelve-year-old Reggie Jackson stopped the
show last night with “America the Beautiful.”