Tong kosong nyaring bunyinya

Meaning: Those who know the least often talk the most.

Language: Indonesian

Literally: An empty barrel sounds the loudest

Category: Daily Life

Origin: An empty drum booms while a full one is quiet — the Indonesian measure of loud talk against little substance.

More idioms — Daily Life

• Besar pasak daripada tiang — To spend more than you earn.
• Buah tangan — A souvenir or gift brought back for others from a trip.
• Filer à l'anglaise — To leave discreetly without saying goodbye.
• Se mettre sur son trente-et-un — To dress up in your very best clothes.
• Tomber dans le panneau — To fall for a trick or scam.
• Faire la grasse matinée — To sleep in and have a lazy lie-in.

More Indonesian idioms

• Sambil menyelam minum air — To accomplish two things in one go.
• Air tenang menghanyutkan — Quiet people can run surprisingly deep.

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