Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PAPER TIGER
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"PAPER TIGER"
Meaning:
Like you might guess, a paper tiger is anything that seems scary or powerful but really isn't.
Pronunciation:
Like you'd expect. "PAY pur TIE gur."
Part of speech:
Countable noun.
(Countable nouns, like “bottle,” “piece,” and “decision,” are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about “a bottle,” “three pieces,” and “many decisions.”
Likewise, talk about one paper tiger or multiple paper tigers.)
Other forms:
Just the plural, "paper tigers."
How to use it:
"Paper tiger" is a colorful, slightly insulting name for a person, a country, a sports team, a department, a weapon, a product, or anything else when you mean that it seems menacing but truly is not.
The meaning should be understood easily by your listeners, even if they haven't heard the term before.
Some speakers carry the metaphor a little further by calling someone a paper tiger with real teeth, saying that your tail is getting twisted by a paper tiger, etc.
With all of her empty threats to send kids to detention and leave permanent marks on their records, the teacher had acquired a reputation as a paper tiger.
Don't mistake this yapping dog for a paper tiger. It's out for blood.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "paper tiger" means when you can explain it without saying "all talk" or "not as scary as it seems."
Think of something that used to scare you or used to seem really powerful, and fill in the blank: "_____ proved to be a paper tiger."
Example: "My first manager at my high school job as a hostess loved to yell and threaten to fire anybody who didn't finish their side work on time. But she proved to be a paper tiger."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Playing With Words:
This month, challenge your powers of memory and recall (or just get ready to reign supreme on Wheel of Fortune) as we play with two-word phrases that you’ll find in a dictionary. We’ll start off with easy tasks and advance to harder ones as the month goes on. See the right answer to each question the following day. You might even see a new phrase that inspires your curiosity and makes you look it up. Have fun! (Note: Every dictionary recognizes a different set of two-word phrases. I used the OED to make these game questions.)
Yesterday's question:
What words are missing from the chain of two-word phrases below?
set back
back ?
? mark
mark ?
? under
under secretary
Answers:
set back
back BENCH
BENCH mark
mark DOWN
DOWN under
under secretary
Try this one today:
What words are missing from the chain of two-word phrases below?
grease monkey
monkey ?
? ?
? writing
writing implement
A Point Well Made:
Maya Angelou: “Determine to live life with flair and laughter.”
1. The best opposite of PAPER TIGER is
A. LIP SERVICE
B. PAPER MOON
C. HIDDEN THREAT
2. The opposing team who greeted us with _____ turned out to be paper tigers.
A. limp handshakes
B. warm smiles
C. teeth bared
Answers are below.
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Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. C
2. C
Exploring the archives:
Today I'm excited to share our first term that we borrowed (then translated) from Chinese. So far we've seen tons of French and German terms, but "paper tiger" is our first Asian gem. When Mao Zedong called the US a paper tiger in 1956, that was when the term entered the minds of our general public.
To review some of those other foreign borrowings, could you recall the two-word French term for a happy medium: a good middle ground away from extremes?
How about our German word meaning the general spirit of a particular time?
"PAPER TIGER"
Pronunciation: Part of speech: How to use it: What words are missing from the chain of two-word phrases below? |