Monday, January 26, 2009

Much all mouth and no trousers

Again, the bastardised form gets used in a quite inexplicable fashion in an unexpected corner, courtesy of China View -
Chen Jun, a magazine editor in Shanghai, said he was disappointed to not have access to the "Shanzhai" show.
"It was much all mouth and no trousers. I think it has let many people down," Chen said.


One can't really criticise the speaker here, as English evidently isn't his first language, but it's a sad demonstration of how the bastardised version has spread at the expense of the eloquent original.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Fashion pants

Another stupid use of the bastardised form from an unexpected quarter, as an unidentified hack writes in the Austrian Times:
Fashion guru Giorgio Armani has accused David and Victoria Beckham's favourite designer pals Dolce & Gabbana of being all mouth and no trousers.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Clearly the trousers are there - it's the contents that are (metaphorically) missing.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Cricket whites

Peter Hayter in the Daily Mail goes out for a duck, writing of cricket boss Giles Clarke:
Clarke's backers had been under the impression that, although his aggressive and confrontational style has polarised opinion, he would be re-elected unopposed for a second two-year term and any opposition to him was of the all-mouth-and-no-trousers variety.

Back to the pavilion with you.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Painful movement

The doubtless well-meaning folks at the 'World Development Movement' rather undermine their case through their use of the meaningless bastardisation in this press release -

Heathrow decision: 'Government is all mouth and no trousers on climate change' say World Development Movement.
Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:
“The government says it is serious about tackling climate change; but in the same breath, they give the thumbs up to a new runway at Heathrow. This is a real let down and shows the government up to be all mouth and no trousers when it comes to climate change. The government is relinquishing any claim to credibility or leadership on action against climate change. They talk tough, but aren't delivering.


Once again, trousers ain't synonymous with delivery. Anything but, usually. Mind you, that mixed metaphor is almost as painfully dumb - 'in the same breath, they give the thumbs up'?