paper tiger
English edit
Etymology edit
Calque of Chinese 紙老虎/纸老虎 (zhǐlǎohǔ), a slogan used by Mao Zedong.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun edit
paper tiger (plural paper tigers)
- (idiomatic) A seemingly fierce or powerful person, country or organisation without the ability to back up their words; apparently powerful but actually ineffective.
- Synonym: sheep in wolf's clothing
- Antonym: wolf in sheep's clothing
- 2008 August 23, Ian Kershaw, “The twisted road to war”, in The Guardian[1]:
- The League of Nations was by this time scarcely even a paper tiger, devoid of credibility since its divisions and pusillanimity had been so clearly laid bare following Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia in the autumn of 1935.
Translations edit
paper tiger
|