cider

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. John's all talk and no action, so I doubt he'll really help you move those boxes, like he said he would.

See also: all, no, talk

all talk and no cider

All talk and no action. Full of strong words, promises, or intentions, but failing either to act on those words or to achieve results. He keeps threatening to quit if he doesn't get a raise, but I think he's all talk and no cider, considering how long he's been here. She may brag about donating money to the school, but I know she's all talk and no cider. John's all talk and no cider, so I doubt he'll really help you move those boxes, like he said he would.

See also: all, and, cider, no, talk

hard liquor

Any distilled alcoholic beverage, such as whiskey, vodka, gin, etc. "Hard" here is a reference to the higher percentage of alcohol in comparison to wine or beer. Primarily heard in US, Canada. I've learned to steer clear of hard liquor if I want to avoid a hangover the next day! No fruity cocktail for me, I want some hard liquor—how about whisky on the rocks? I've got everything from beers to hard liquor—what do you feel like?

See also: hard, liquor

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

all talk (and no action)

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).

See also: all, no, talk

hard liquor

Distilled alcoholic beverages, such as gin or whiskey. For example, We're serving wine and beer but no hard liquor. The hard here refers to their high alcoholic content, which is also true for hard cider, although the latter is not distilled but has simply fermented.

See also: hard, liquor

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hard liquor

n. potent liquor such as whiskey, gin, rum, etc. Stay off of hard liquor until your stomach feels better.

See also: hard, liquor

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.