Bravado：虛張聲勢

12月21日，英國首相托尼·布萊爾出人意料地秘密訪問巴格達，意在為即將來臨的伊拉克大選造勢，鼓勵伊拉克人參選。外電報道如下：Protected by U.S. Black Hawk helicopters, Britain's Tony Blair flew into Iraq on Tuesday in a surprise show of political bravado designed to boost prospects for Iraqi elections and cheer UK troops before Christmas.

The prime minister's trip also sent a defiant message back home where Britons' disquiet over Iraq is likely to reduce the margin of his expected general election victory next year.

While a year ago his U.S. ally George W. Bush stayed at Baghdad airport, Blair went straight into the central Green Zone, a favorite target for insurgents, on a military Puma helicopter.

Bravado表示“虛張聲勢；故作勇敢；裝作有自信的樣子”，例如：perform idiotic tricks out of sheer bravado（搞一套純屬虛張聲勢的愚蠢花招）在上文中，bravado表示布萊爾此次出訪的意圖是為伊大選進行“政治造勢”。