rattle 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
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.
See also:
  • rattle (one's) saber
  • 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
From what I know, the current BCDA leadership has opted to let the court decide on whatever issues or legalities have to be settled but they won't rock the boat or rattle sabers with the Sobrepeaa group.
Cheaper medicines my foot
Like Trump, who has refused to rattle sabers against Putin, Hearst was soft on Russia, boldly advocating recognition of the Bolshevik government in the 1920s.
Why they love trump
It is not the first time that the Israeli military has used information technology to rattle sabers on Hezbollah's alleged military preparations in south Lebanon.
Israel looks to justify future strikes on civilian areas in south
For a government that loves to rattle sabers and bully its neighbors, Israel is mighty thin-skinned when it comes to a few words against its policy.
Grass barred from Israel
As the two sides continue to rattle sabers, this book appears quite timely.
The "Great Satan" vs. The "Mad Mullahs": How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other
Parliamentary backbenchers, retired military officers and newspaper commentators often rattle sabers against Iran.
Barak says Iranians radical, not crazy
ElBaradei, 66, cut a high political profile in the post by urging big powers to engage rather than isolate or, in the case of hawks in the former Bush administration, rattle sabers with Iran.
Outlook for election to succeed IAEA's ElBaradei
While some of the CFR's leading experts continue to rattle sabers and appear to be beating war drums, the dominant strain in the council's media chorus is sounding the siren song of "new thinking" concerning our relationship with Tehran.
Iran behind the veil: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is being falsely cast as conciliatory and cooperative by U.S. elites, which will likely lead to a disastrous appeasement strategy
If that sounds cynical, it's because anyone who follows the issue has seen politicians rattle sabers and declare victory many times before.
Indecency breeds hypocrisy on Capitol Hill
China likes to rattle sabers over the island it views as a breakaway province, periodically threatening to crush Taiwan with its overwhelmingly superior military forces.
The Emerging Sino-Russian Axis - Invading Taiwan
can rattle sabers well enough, but stop at the brink when appropriate--machismo doesn't have to rule.
Clinton's foreign policy: solid and consistent