Plural of grandstand; large tiered seating structures at sports venues, or acts of showing off.
From 'grand' + 'stand'; 'grand' comes from Old French meaning 'great,' and 'stand' refers to a raised structure. As a verb, it means to perform for effect.
The word beautifully captures how architecture and behavior became intertwined—the physical structure (grandstand seating) gave its name to the social behavior of performing for an audience.
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