all talk (and no action)

Said of one who talks a lot about something that one has not actually done, or will not actually do. She may brag about donating money to the school, but I know she's all talk and no action. Oh, he's all talk—he's never had to face real danger.

talking often about doing something, but never actually doing it. The car needs washing, but Bill is all talk and no action on this matter. Bill keeps saying he'll get a job soon, but he's all talk and no action. Bill won't do it. He's just all talk.

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).

If you say that someone is all talk, you mean that they often say they are going to do something impressive or exciting but never actually do it. These guys aren't reliable. They're all talk. Note: People sometimes use the longer expression all talk and no action. Thus far, Clark has been all talk and no action.