show a little ankle

== English == === Etymology === Probably an allusion to the flirtatious practice by some young women, especially in the first half of the twentieth century, of raising a long skirt sufficiently to reveal a bare ankle but no more than that. === Pronunciation === === Verb === show ankle (third-person singular simple present shows ankle, present participle showing ankle, simple past showed ankle, past participle shown ankle) (idiomatic) To provide a hint or to reveal partial information in order to gain attention or arouse interest. ==== Usage notes ==== Usually used with intervening words between show and ankle which characterize the amount of "ankle" shown, such as a little, some, a lot of, etc. ==== Translations ==== === See also === come-on === References === Discussion of the expression “show ankle” by William Safire (New York Times, Sunday, March 11, 2007)