sabre-rattle en · VERB
Etymology
From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.
Meanings
-
To threaten a big battle or war.
Do I want to change group norms (say to get higher output, or acceptance of change) or just sabre-rattle?
1991, Robert Arthur Lee, Peter Lawrence, Politics at work, page 91:Then you speak of "the President's spread-eagle patriotism," his delight in "barnyard language," his "readiness to sabre-rattle at the ripple of a flag,"
1969, Lawrence Edmund Spivak, Meet the Press: America's Press Conference of the Air:If I go in all confident, all don't-even-think-of-fucking-with-me, they'll rabble-rouse and sabre-rattle to beat the band.
2013, John Andrew Fredrick, The King of Good Intentions, page 105:The Chinese and the Russians sabre-rattle like mad against each other, but they both seem to be super-practical countries in that they trade with each other when they need to.
1980, Optical Spectra - Volume 14, page 164:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabre-rattles | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| rattle one's saber | alternative | lexicographic | |
| rattle the saber | alternative | lexicographic | |
| rattle a sabre | alternative | lexicographic | |
| sabre-rattled | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| sabre-rattled | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| sabre rattle | alternative | lexicographic | |
| sabre-rattling | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| saber-rattle | alternative | lexicographic | |
| saber rattle | alternative | lexicographic | |
| rattle a saber | alternative | lexicographic | |
| rattle one's sabre | alternative | lexicographic | |
| rattle the sabre | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
saber rattling · sabre rattling · saber-rattling · sabre-rattling
Translations (8)
ru бряца́ть ору́жием (to threaten a big battle or war) · be бра́згаць збро́яй (to threaten a big battle or war) · cmn 耀武揚威 /耀武扬威 (to threaten a big battle or war) · pl wymachiwać szabelką (to threaten a big battle or war) · uk бря́зкати збро́єю (to threaten a big battle or war) · fi kalistella sapeliaan (to threaten a big battle or war) · cmn 炫耀武力 (to threaten a big battle or war) · de Säbel rasseln (to threaten a big battle or war)