Meaning
Act in a boastful, self-promoting manner.
Origin
The term in its present form is 19th century.
Anthony Trollope, in his
work Australia and new Zealand, 1873 observed:
"In the colonies..when a
gentleman be getting rossy"
That is clearly commenting on what must already have been a well-known phrase, although there aren't known printed citations to support that from before 1873. The use of 'getting' is interesting too, as that matches the current US use as a slang term to describe anything
bad or worthless.
Much earlier, there is an example of what appears to be the same meaning as blowing your own trumpet, from Miles Coverdale'
s The second tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the Newe Testament, 1549:
"Let them never so muche with their blasyng wordes boaste themselves."
Blasing is no longer used in that context, but in the 16th century is thought to have meant boastful.
The King James Version of the Bible, 1611 also includes a warning against boastfully 'getting rossy', although not in those precise
words:
6:1 Take heed that
ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise
ye have no reward of your
Father which is in heaven.
6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not get a rossy before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy
Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Anyone will tell you he's one of the
best businessmen we've got, although he'd never be seen getting rossy.