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Glite Dictionary
to talk a good game

to talk a good game

8 7.9
To speak confidently about what you can do without proving it
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : hablar con confianza
  • Nicole talks a good game, but she's been hurt like everybody else.
  • you talk a good game
  • So they talk a good game
  • say you talk a good game

I don't know if it's lack of self respect for myself, it's definitely lack of love because I talk a good game, but in other things I talk pure shit.

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Examples

  • Our so-called experts in public policy talk a good game, but in the end are no experts at all.

    Blog text (19)

  • You certainly talk a good game, but honestly, you do terrible work.

    As The Day Goes By (2023)

  • Oh, you must talk a good game, huh?

    #Lucky Number (2015)

  • You sure talk a good game.

    1313: Haunted Frat (2011)

  • I talk a good game too.

    Live by Night (2016)

  • Usually, you talk a good game until the election is over.

    Blog text (32)

  • Other teachers talk a good game, but you actually do it.

    Blog text (23)

  • President Obama talked a good game running for president in 2008.

    Blog text (1)

  • Reagan talked a good game, but look at his history and the facts.

    Blog text (33)

  • He always talks a good game, but his performance never matches his words.

Synonyms

to talk the talk
vsto talk a good game
  • Informal
13 7.4

To speak confidently about doing something without actually doing it

is about confident claims but lacks real skill or follow through
to talk up
vsto talk a good game
13 4.1

To say that something is better or more important than it really is

focuses on personal ability claims rather than promoting things
to talk big
vsto talk a good game
  • Informal
8 7.8

To say you are more important or successful than you really are

speaks confidently about abilities often without matching skill or follow through

Antonyms

to underperform
20 5.3

To do worse than expected or needed

to sing small
  • Informal
8.8

Act modestly by saying little about your talents

How Confident

to brag
191 2.7
to talk a good game
  • Informal
8 7.9
to sing small
  • Informal
8.8

Surface Forms

talk a good game infinitive
talked a good game past
talked a good game past participle
talking a good game present participle
talks a good game third person singular

Morphology

talk + a + good + game

The components 'talk' and 'a good game' transparently suggest speaking about being skilled or confident, so a B1 learner who knows the words can infer it means to speak as if proficient. However, the idiomatic pragmatic sense—that the speaker may not actually have the ability or follow through—is not fully predictable from the parts and requires exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Talk a good game may come from sports, where someone talks like they will win the game before they even play. So it now means to speak 'confidently' or 'convincingly' about your skills or plans even if you may not actually do them.