набивать себе цену

• НАБИВАТЬ/НАБИТЬ СЕБЕ ЦЕНУ coll

[VP; subj: human; usu. pres or past]

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⇒ to (try to) better s.o.'s opinion of o.s., make o.s. look more important to others (usu. in order to achieve a certain status, obtain sth. etc):

- X набивает себе цену{{}}≈ X is building himself up (in s.o.Ts eyes);

- X is trying to enhance his own value (image);

- X is trying to convince s.o. of how invaluable (indispensable etc) X is;

- X is trying to make s.o. appreciate X (more).

     ♦ Рассказывая новому начальнику, как неохотно ее отпускали с предыдущего места работы, она надеялась набить себе цену. By telling her new boss stories about how they hated to see her leave her old job, she hoped to build herself up in his eyes.