all talk and no action

all talk and no action

English

Noun

all talk and no action (uncountable)

1. Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little.
   • 20 January 2017, Donald Trump, Inauguration Speech

     We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action - constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

   • 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, OCLC 1261299044, PC:

     Jaal: Let's do it Peebee.
     Peebee: Uh... do what?
     Jaal: Find out if asari and angara can mate. You and I—we can be pilgrims.
     Peebee: Uh, Ryder?
     Ryder: You got yourself into this.
     Peebee: Jaal... uh, yeah, that's not exactly in my immediate plans...
     Jaal: You mean you'd let someone else beat you to it?
     Peebee: I...
     Jaal: I didn't know you were... what is that saying Ryder?
     Ryder: All talk.
     Jaal: All talk.

Synonyms

• all bark and no bite
• all talk and no cider
• all talk, no show
• all booster, no payload
• all crown, no filling
• all foam, no beer
• all hammer, no nail
• all hat and no cattle
• all icing, no cake
• all lime and salt, no tequila
• all mouth and no trousers
• all mouth and trousers
• all shot, no powder
• all sing, no dance
• all sizzle and no steak
• all talk
• all wax and no wick

Translations

idiom

Afrikaans: meer bek as binnegoed Catalan: molt soroll i poques nous Chinese: 光說不做 (zh), 只說不做, 光說不幹, 耍嘴皮子 (zh), 雷声大，雨点小 (zh), 雷聲大，雨點小 (zh) (léishēngdà, yǔdiǎnxiǎo) Dutch: veel geschreeuw en weinig wol Italian: tutto fumo e niente arrosto, tanto fumo e poco arrosto Maori: he kōrero i pahawa, hōhonu waha - pāpaku uaua Spanish: mucho hablar y poco hacer, mucho ruido y pocas nueces, mucho lerele y poco larala Swedish: Mycket snack och lite verkstad. (sv)

See also

• talk out of one's ass
• talk the talk