# All dialects: All talk, no action



## Andrew___

Regarding this word حلنجي (Halangi), I know the Egyptians use this word to refer to someone who is full of big talk but no action.  

May I ask, is this word used in other parts of the Arab world to express the same sentiment?

Cheers.


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## elroy

I've never heard it before.


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## yasmeena

Me neither.


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## Mahaodeh

I haven't either, nor can I think of another word that is used to give the same meaning.


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## Andrew___

What a pity, it seems that this word is confined to the boundaries of Egypt.

In that case it's definitely not the most useful word to learn. But it's too late, I have already memorised it and have used it several times already in conversations.


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## Andrew___

Mahaodeh said:


> I haven't either, nor can I think of another word that is used to give the same meaning.



Could perhaps the closest MSA equivalent be *منفوخ على الفاضي*

I know this conveys a different meaning generally speaking, but perhaps it could work in some contexts when describing someone who is all words but no action.


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## Mahaodeh

Yes, I thought of it, I just wasn't sure it meant the same thing.


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## cherine

Sorry Andrew, but it's not the same.
A 7alangi is someone who talks to much, usually with either lies or "twisted truths".
A manfuukh 3al-faaDi is someone arrogant, and for no reason. Like someone acting rich when he is in fact a penniless. Or someone acting important when he's in fact a no-body.

P.S. 7alangi is not such a common word any way, it's getting less used these days than before.  But it never hurt to learn new word.


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## Mahaodeh

cherine said:


> A 7alangi is someone who talks to much, usually with either lies or "twisted truths".



In this case, there is a slang word in Baghdad for that, it's fayyaal = فيّال, it originated from iyTayyir fiyala = يطير فيالة (where فيالة is colloquial for فيلة, the plural of فيل), meaning he lies so much he has no problem in saying that he saw an elephant flying.

Another word, much more common, is كلاوجي, but this is more like someone that tricks or deceives; but it's not as negative as نصاب, it implies deception but not to the extent of being against the law.


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## Josh_

As far as "all talk, no action" is concerned I don't know if it is used by natives or not, but I, myself, have gotten used to saying "_huwwa/hiyya/inta kalaam wa bass_," or a variation "_huwwa, kullu kalaam wa bass;" "inta, kullak kalaam wa bass_," etc.  Perhaps that is an influence of English.

I think I might have even said once, "_inta kullak kalaam wa-bass, mafiish fi3l/tanfiiz minnak_."  Although, looking at it now, it probably sounds weird to a native speaker.


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## cherine

Mahaodeh said:


> In this case, there is a slang word in Baghdad for that, it's fayyaal = فيّال, it originated from iyTayyir fiyala = يطير فيالة (where فيالة is colloquial for فيلة, the plural of فيل), meaning he lies so much he has no problem in saying that he saw an elephant flying.



Interesting expression! Thanks Maha 


> Another word, much more common, is كلاوجي, but this is more like someone that tricks or deceives; but it's not as negative as نصاب, it implies deception but not to the extent of being against the law.


Reading this, I think I should note that 7alangi is not exactly a positive word, unless said in a joking tone. Like for example, someone is using through sweet talk to get you to give them something. Like, for example, a boy kissing his mother, telling her how sweet and tender and great she is, and after a loooong introduction he asks her for a favor. She can tell him: ya 7alangi, or "enta walad 7alangi". (just an example).
But there's also the negative expression: دا بني آدم نصاب وحلنجي da bani2aadam naSSaab we 7alangi. It's like: he cheats, he tricks others, he's not an honest person....


Josh_ said:


> As far as "all talk, no action" is concerned I don't know if it is used by natives or not, but I, myself, have gotten used to saying "_huwwa/hiyya/inta kalaam wa bass_," or a variation "_huwwa, kullu kalaam wa bass;" "inta, kullak kalaam wa bass_," etc. Perhaps that is an influence of English.


I don't know if it's an English influence, but it is used in Egypt. We also have: "bo22e'w'bass" (sorry, wasn't sure how to transliterate this) بق وبس (only a mouth). It's used invariably with singular, plural, male, female.


> I think I might have even said once, "_inta kullak kalaam wa-bass, mafiish fi3l/tanfiiz minnak_." Although, looking at it now, it probably sounds weird to a native speaker.


Not weird at all, but maybe a little tweeking is needed:
enta kalaam we bass, fe3l mafissh
إنت كلام وبس، فعل مَفيش

And there's this expression: aqwaal la af3aal أقوال لا أفعال (word and no actions) which became kind of famous after being used for zillion times in political campaigns, where candidates used to tell people that they're أفعال لا أقوال (actions, not just words). And, of course, being liars in this, people learned to make a joke out of it and used the reverse: أقوال لا أفعال to describe someone who only make promises but never keep them.


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## Josh_

Thank you for confirming that, Cherine, as well as sharing the other expressions. Thinking about it more, it may be partly an influence of English, but I probably have heard it from native speakers at some time in the past, but just can't remember any specific instances.


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## cyberpedant

The phrase "all talk, no action" has distinctly sexual connotations in my part of the English speaking world.


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## Josh_

I'd say it depends on the context of the situation.  I don't think it has those connotations in and of itself, except maybe among the early 20 something crowd.  

At any rate, I don't see how it's relevant to this discussion.  Discussing the connotations of the English phrase would probably be better left to the English only forum.


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## londonmasri

(In the UK) the phrase 'all talk and no action' has no sexual connotations at all. I can see how it could be used in such an instance, but it is in no way inherently applicable to 'that' arena.


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## yasmeena

> iyTayyir fiyala = يطير فيالة


The same expression is used in Lebanon, with a slight modification يطير فيولة . Another word for this is شبيح ( although I've learned lately that this word has a different meaning in Jordan).


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## Andrew___

One further thing, a person from Upper Egypt told me today that there is the word *Kalamangi* which is used more than Halangi.

I guess this word "Kalamangi" is derived from "kalaam" (word).

Andrew


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## cherine

Al Sulhafa said:


> One further thing, a person from Upper Egypt told me today that there is the word *Kalamangi* which is used more than Halangi.


As I said in my post#8 above:


cherine said:


> P.S. 7alangi is not such a common word any way, it's getting less used these days than before.


Furthermore, the word kalamangi doesn't have the same negative connotation of halangi, although it's not a positive word either.
Someone who's kalamangi is someone who talks too much, who's "all talk, no action".


			
				Al Sulhafa said:
			
		

> I guess this word "Kalamangi" is derived from "kalaam" (word).


Exactly. It's kalaam+suffix gi جي .


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## Mahaodeh

cherine said:


> Like, for example, a boy kissing his mother, telling her how sweet and tender and great she is, and after a loooong introduction he asks her for a favor. She can tell him: ya 7alangi, or "enta walad 7alangi". (just an example).


I wanted to put that exact example for كلاوجي ! However, the word is generally negative; it's less negative than نصاب only because offically in law fraud is named نصب so it gives it an official criminal status. But the other expression is used commonly such as: هذا واحد نصاب وكلاوجي.

After this post, it seems to me that حلنجي and كلاوجي mean the same thing, except that كلاوجي is still common.


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## Hemza

cherine said:


> I don't know if it's an English influence, but it is used in Egypt. We also have: "bo22e'w'bass" (sorry, wasn't sure how to transliterate this) بق وبس (only a mouth). It's used invariably with singular, plural, male, female.



In a similar vein in Morocco: فيه غير الفم or ما فيه الا الفم

Ps: غير here should be understood as لا غير


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## analeeh

جعجة بلا طحنة or جعجعة بلا طحين spring to mind as approximate equivalents.


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## love-Liebe-Lub(Arbc)

I use the word *7akkaay *حكاي


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