TO TALK (or LOOK) BIG verb phr. (old).—To assume a pompous style or manner to impress others with a sense of one’s importance but with nothing to support it; to talk loudly, boastingly: Fr. se hancher.
1579. SPENSER, The Shepheardes Calender, Sept., 50.
| The shepheards swayne you cannot wel ken, | |
| But it be by his pryde, from other men: | |
| They LOOKEN BIGGE as Bulls. |
1604. SHAKESPEARE, Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. Not a more cowardly rogue, in all Bohemia: if you had but LOOKED BIG, and spit at him, he’d have run.
1771. SMOLLETT, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, i. 26. The squire, in all probability, cursed his punctuality in his heart, but he affected to TALK BIG.
1822. SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, xv. ‘You will gain nought by SPEAKING BIG with me.’
1838. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 2, viii. He LOOKED BIG and TALKED BIG and altogether was a considerable big man in his own consait.’
1855. A. TROLLOPE, The Warden, 237. The Archdeacon waxed wrath, TALKED BIG, and LOOKED BIGGER.
BIG AS ALL OUTDOORS, phr. (American).—A simile of indefinite size, hugeness, enormous capacity.
1838. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 2, ii. The infarnal villain! Tell me who he is, and if he was BIG AS ALL OUTDOORS, I’d walk into him. Ibid., iv. He is looking as BIG AS ALL OUTDOORS, gist now, and is waitin’ for us to come to him.
