Meanings
alternative all mouth and no trousers
- UKidiomaticnot comparableSuperficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
Synonyms: all fart and no shit, all fart and no poo
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSuperficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
Origin
From 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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan molt soroll i poques nous
- molt soroll i poques noussuperficial
Finnish ei suuret sanat suuta halkaise
- ei suuret sanat suuta halkaisesuperficial
French que de la gueule, rien dans le pantalon
- que de la gueulesuperficial
- rien dans le pantalonsuperficial
German große Klappe, nichts dahinter
- große Klappe, nichts dahintersuperficial
Italian tutto fumo e niente arrosto
- tutto fumo e niente arrostosuperficial
Russian брехня́, пуста́я бо́чка гро́мче греми́т
- брехня́ (brexnjá)superficial
- пуста́я бо́чка гро́мче греми́т (pustája bóčka grómče gremít)superficial
Cite this entry
all mouth and trousers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20mouth%20and%20trousers
“all mouth and trousers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20mouth%20and%20trousers. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all mouth and trousers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20mouth%20and%20trousers.
Source: all mouth and trousers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.