name dropping
/ˈneɪm ˌdrɑːpɪŋ/
noun
- The act of mentioning famous or important people's names in conversation as if you know them, in order to impress others.
- Name-dropping can sometimes backfire and make you look insecure rather than impressive.
- She was accused of name-dropping when she casually mentioned that the president was a family friend.
- His constant name-dropping about celebrities he had met made everyone roll their eyes.