all mouth and trousers
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
mouth, meaning "talk" rather than action and trousers, presumably at the time of origin a reference to masculinity, either as trousers as a male item of clothing, or a reference to the genitals.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Adjective
all mouth and trousers (not comparable)
Translations
superficial
|
See also
References
- Michael Quinion (2004) “All mouth and trousers”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.