all talk (and no action)

Idioms

Much discussion but no action or results, as in Don't count on Mary's help—she's all talk, or Dave has been saying for months that he'll get a summer job, but he's all talk and no action. This idiom may have begun life as all talk and no cider, which Washington Irving cited as an American proverb in Salmagundi (1807). However, similar sayings antedate it by many years—for example, “The greatest talkers are always the least doers” (John Ray, English Proverbs, 1670).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Campaigner Greta Thunberg has said these UN climate summits are just "blah, blah, blah" - meaning all talk and no action.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023

And she’s warning her colleagues that voters won’t forgive them for being all talk and no action.

From Washington Times • May 29, 2023

Several speakers said Friday efforts to address the courthouse safety problems in recent years have been all talk and no action.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2021

Every year around awards season, it is all talk and no action.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2019

I cannot escape the feeling that these bold, hearty bucket-listers are all talk and no action.

From Slate • May 29, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023