sabre-rattling

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.

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.

sabre-rattling

COMMON Sabre-rattling is aggressive behaviour in which threats are made, often of military action. Note: `Sabre' is spelled `saber' in American English. He accused the country of sabre-rattling and taking the first step in the trade war. Note: You can also say that someone rattles their sabre or that people rattle sabres. Still, it is good to see both sides talking, rather than rattling sabres at each other. Note: A sabre is a heavy sword with a curved blade that was used in the past by soldiers on horseback.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • saber rattling
  • a smile is worth a thousand words
  • don't make me tell you again
  • the done thing
  • count for
  • count for (something)
  • break the bank
  • break the bank, to
  • the finger
  • be (not) the marrying kind
References in periodicals archive
New Delhi [India], Mar 08 ( ANI ): Senior leader of the Congress party, Renuka Chowdhury, on Thursday termed the rift between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its coalition partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as 'sabre-rattling', adding that if the TDP wanted they would have pulled out of the alliance.
3 a w Armo SEE the Winged Hussars in action at the Royal Armouries, Leeds Over August Bank Holiday weekend, August 26 to 28, the Armouries is hosting a weekend of horse shows featuring a crack team of sabre-rattling, pistol shooting cavalrymen from Poland.
"Let's face it, the Government has run out of steam and at a pivotal moment in our country and the world, amid uncertainty over Brexit, conflict in the Gulf states, nuclear sabre-rattling over North Korea, refugees continuing to flee war and destruction, ongoing pandemics, cross-border terrorism, poverty and inequality, and the impact of climate change are the core global challenges of our time" - Jeremy Corbyn.
Railing against Tory austerity measures without alluding to the recession, and mentioning the 'sabre-rattling threatening our European allies' without mentioning the EU's 'Brexit must hurt' stance, is unworthy of a columnist.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: "Brexiteers have gone from cheering to sabre-rattling for war in four days.
THE sabre-rattling has begun in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
We want a traditional friend far more than sabre-rattling." His comments came after President Vladimir Putin obtained the green light from parliament on Saturday to use military force in its neighbour Ukraine.
Noble is a local lad who'll get the punters onside, he's experienced enough to be able to talk to the media and he'll do a bit of sabre-rattling in the dressing room as well.
If all the sabre-rattling really is due to the artificial reef created by Gibraltar round its waters to conserve its fish stocks, then ultimately it will benefit everyone.
(Wild explosion of raspberries and sabre-rattling clashes.)
Sweden, April 4 -- During the past few days, it was just usual rhetoric, sabre-rattling and show of strength around the Korean peninsula.
Pyongyang, burdened by increased UN sanctions for launching a missile in December, is now sabre-rattling about a nuclear test as part of "all-out action" action against its "sworn enemy", America.
Yuval Diskin said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Ehud Barak - who have been sabre-rattling for months - have their judgment clouded by "messianic feelings" and should not be trusted on Iran.
Whilst the islands remain the subject of occasional sabre-rattling in Argentina, there is little evidence to suggest that the South Americans are seriously considering another military assault on the Falklands.
It was Tehran's most aggressive statement yet after weeks of sabre-rattling as new U.S.