# in a trench coat

> English word · Prep_phrase

## Definitions
1. Pretending to be something greater, especially unconvincingly.

## Etymology
From a pop culture cliché in which two children, one on the other's shoulders, wear a long coat in order to pass for one adult to enter an R-rated movie theater.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/in-a-trench-coat