I think the point Greg is getting at, and it is a valid one, is that what the Orlanthi expect is a presentation of the character's real accomplishments, in a prideful and flowery manner.
If a character does not present his accomplishments in a manner indicating that he or she is proud of them, he or she is implicitly admitting that he or she has something to be ashamed of. The Orlanthi don't value humility, they are more like the Pendragon pagan warriors who value pride. So if you're not proud, why not? Not a question you want people to be asking. So a character's accomplishments should be presented at length, and in words which convey the impression that they were and are, important.
If a character does not use flowery speech, he or she tells the world that he or she cannot speak well. This indicates, to the Orlanthi, that the character is a barbarian, who doesn't know the language that well.
It is however, vitally important that a character not claim accomplishments that are not his {or hers}. To claim to have been present at a battle you weren't actually at is dishonorable. To claim to have killed a monster you have merely heard about is dishonorable. Since in some sense the whole point of the business is to demonstrate that the character is deserving of honor, lying about your accomplishments is like committing fraud in scientific research. It undermines the purpose of the exercise, in the same way lying about your results defeats the larger purpose of scientific investigation. Not that it doesn't happen, mind you, but society will come down on a character who gets caught like a ton of bricks. Also, most Orlanthi are socialized not to lie, so your character will probably feel uncomfortable actually lying.
Whether to call this boasting or not is an interesting. Nothing quite like this exists in modern American {or English} culture. So whatever word you use will probably have the wrong connotations.
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