# ho kua bo ho jiak

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ho-kua-bo-ho-jiak
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Superficial; incompetent or having no substance despite appearances, skin-deep; portraying oneself as greater than one actually is; all style and no substance.

## Examples

- That flashy new manager is all ho kua bo ho jiak.
- He talks a big game about his business, but his plans are ho kua bo ho jiak.
- Despite the polished presentation and expensive suit, the candidate proved to be entirely ho kua bo ho jiak when asked about his actual experience.

## Origin

From Hokkien 好看無好食 (hó-khòaⁿ bô hó-chia̍h), literally meaning good to look at, not good to eat.

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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.