ProverbMoralityEnglish origin

Brag's a good dog if he be well set on; but he dare not bite.

Meaning: Empty boasting lacks substance—confidence unsupported by real ability cannot sustain itself under scrutiny.

Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.

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