saber

rattle (one's) saber

To make aggressive, blustering, typically empty threats. I'd like to think that his threats are just him rattling his saber, but I'm not too sure anymore. The boss just likes to rattle her saber every now and then to make herself feel powerful.
See also: rattle, saber

rattle sabers

To make aggressive, blustering, and typically empty threats. I'd like to think that the country's threats of nuclear extermination are just them rattling sabers, but I'm not too sure anymore. The boss just likes to rattle sabers every now and then to make herself feel powerful.
See also: rattle, saber

saber rattling

Words and actions that seek to convey anger, power, and intimidation, often in a military setting. The leaders of these countries need to quit their saber rattling before we end up at war.
See also: rattling, saber
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rattle one's saber

 and rattle its saber
Fig. to make threatening statements or actions. The president is just rattling his saber. He would never attack such a small country!
See also: rattle, saber
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

saber rattling

A flamboyant display of military power; also, aggressive blustering. For example, There had been a great deal of saber rattling between the two nations but hostilities had never broken out . This term, originating about 1920 and alluding to an officer indicating he would draw his saber, at first referred to threatening military force but later was extended to more general use, as in Both candidates engaged in pre-debate saber rattling.
See also: rattling, saber
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • rattle (one's) saber
  • rattle saber
  • sabre
  • rattle sabers
  • rattle sabres
  • empty threat
  • put the fear of God in (one)
  • put the fear of God in someone
  • put the fear of God into
  • put the fear of God into someone
References in periodicals archive
La tercera propiedad del saber practico es que es situado.
La cuarta propiedad del saber practico consiste en estar dispuesto a desempenar una accion exitosamente.
Sin embargo, las instancias canonicas anteriores de 'saber como' (esto es, saber como como una habilidad) no cuentan toda la historia.
Y, en segundo lugar (1b), tambien puede tener un significado proposicional, como puede ser la respuesta de un instructor de conduccion a la pregunta de si puede articular, de forma proposicional, las acciones necesarias para controlar un carro, el saber teorico relevante, y las leyes mas importantes de la carretera.
Saber-como disposicional vs. saberque proposicional
Saber is a political activist who participated in the 25 January Revolution and was the coordinator of street action and protests for the National Association for Change, led by Mohamed ElBaradei, of which Saber was a founding member of in 2010.
Saber sentenced to three years for blasphemy
The forensic report stated that a sharp object cut Saber's neck.
Ezzat demanded physical evidence, like Saber's laptop and CDs, be discounted as they were taken from his house without a search warrant or any resident's approval.
Police seized the objects from Saber's house on 16 September.
Saber verdict due on 28 November
Residents of Saber's neighbourhood surrounded his house on 13 September and threatened to break in and kill him or set fire to a nearby church.
Saber's history of posting videos calling for greater critical thinking regarding religion is what incited the neighbourhood against him.
An anti-Saber Facebook page posted a YouTube video showing a police officer carrying Saber from his apartment with a large crowd cheering and chanting "God is great."
Saber's mother, Kariman Saber, was forced to leave her house after she was threatened with murder and with having her house burned down following her son's arrest.
Political activist Alber Saber could face up to five years in prison
Adly says that policemen washed the blood off Saber before dressing him in a shirt and trousers they purchased.
The police alleges that Saber resisted the authorities.
The police report alleges that Saber's injuries are friction burns caused when he dragged himself across the road and are also a result of the force they needed to use to restrain him.
Protestor says was tortured for hours by police on Tuesday