A seemingly fierce or powerful person, country or organisation without the ability to back up their words; apparently powerful but actually ineffective.
Etymology:
- Calque of Chinese 紙老虎 ／纸老虎.
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Submitted on July 07, 2010
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"paper tiger." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/paper-tiger_14109>.
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