# all fur coat and no knickers

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/all-fur-coat-and-no-knickers
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Having a superficially positive appearance that is belied by the reality, e.g., superficially elegant and beautiful but actually common.

## Examples

- 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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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.