send-up
Send-up (noun) means a comic imitation of a person, programme or style that exaggerates its most recognisable features in order to make fun of it. Example: “The sketch was a gentle send-up of daytime property shows.”
How to Use Send-up
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA funny imitation that pokes fun at something.
Informal and chiefly British. The tone is usually affectionate — a send-up teases rather than wounds.
Hyphenate the noun (a send-up) but keep the verb as two words (to send up). In American slang, send up can also mean to send someone to prison, so context matters.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The sketch was a gentle _____ of daytime property shows.
Etymology
A noun formed from the phrasal verb send up, in the sense 'to hold up to ridicule'.
Related Words
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a send-up and a parody?
They overlap almost completely, but send-up is informal, British and usually warmer in tone, while parody is the neutral technical term and can be scholarly or hostile. A send-up teases; a parody merely imitates.
Does send-up mean the same thing in American English?
The comic sense is understood everywhere, but Americans are more likely to say spoof or take-off. In the United States, to send someone up can also mean to send them to prison, as in 'sent up for ten years'.