sound and fury

English

Etymology

From Shakespeare's play Macbeth, in which life is said to be "a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing".

Noun

sound and fury (uncountable)

1. Impotent or meaningless ranting.
   • 2003, New African (issues 414-424, page 5)

     […] I met Babu in the Ugandan capital, Kampula, during the Pan African Movement meeting and he was full of sound and fury, backing the divisive (and now discredited) ethnic politics of the regime in Ethiopia. In fact, Babu was a radical nationalist who was never able to surpass the limitations of his "island" […]