all fur coat and no knickers
Having a superficially positive appearance that is belied by the reality, e.g., superficially elegant and beautiful but actually common.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That restaurant looks fancy, but it's all fur coat and no knickers.”
“The new manager talks about professionalism, but he's all fur coat and no knickers — he never does any real work.”
“The mansion impressed visitors with its marble entrance and crystal chandeliers, yet those who knew its history understood it was all fur coat and no knickers, built on debt and petty cruelties.”
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all fur and no knickers
Synonym of all fur coat and no knickers.
- 02
cut one's coat according to one's cloth
To live within one's means, without spending more than is affordable.
- 03
get one's knickers in a knot
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
- 04
get one's knickers in a twist
To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.
- 05
keep one's knickers on
To stay calm; to not get flustered or angry.
- 06
sugar coated
Alternative form of sugarcoated.
- 07
turn one's coat
To turn against a previous affiliation or allegiance.
- 08
white coat hypertension
Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.
Last updated August 10, 2026