Show and tell

Show and tell is a common expression. It is about showing an audience something and telling them about it.

This group exercise is used to teach young children the skills of public speaking.^[1] For example, children will bring an item from home and will explain to the class why they chose that certain item, where they got it, and other relevant information.

History[change | change source]

The modern usage of this term began in the 1940s,^[1] but the general concept is older. For example, in one of William Shakespeare's plays, a character uses the same words to link something with words explaining it'

"... for if he show us his wounds and tell us his deeds ...."

— Coriolanus, Act II, Scene 3^[2]

References[change | change source]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Ammer, Christine. (1997). "show and tell," The American Heritage dictionary of idioms, p. 580.
↑ Bulman, James C. (1985), The Heroic Idiom of Shakespearean Tragedy, p. 20, citing Coriolanus, Act II, Scene 3, line 1429.

[amer580-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Ammer, Christine. (1997). "show and tell," The American Heritage dictionary of idioms, p. 580.

[2] Bulman, James C. (1985), The Heroic Idiom of Shakespearean Tragedy, p. 20, citing Coriolanus, Act II, Scene 3, line 1429.

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