All hat, no cattle

American Slang

Definition

Someone who’s boastful or flashy but lacks the substance, ability, or resources to back it up—all talk, no action.

Examples

"He rolls up in a rented Lamborghini and talks big about his investments, but he’s all hat, no cattle."

"The candidate bragged about “saving” the town, yet couldn’t name a single policy—definitely all hat, no cattle."

"That startup’s pitch was flashy, but the demo crashed twice; turns out they’re all hat, no cattle."