empty suit

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#1·12h ago

(slang, derogatory, idiomatic, also, politics) An ineffective or incompetent person in a place of authority.

John Doe is an empty suit running on an anti-populist platform.

Origin: Derived from unfavorable observations that ineffective professionals are memorable only for their attire and not their accomplishments at the workplace. First use appears c. 1950 in the New York Times. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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#2·12h ago

(politics) A politician who has not fulfilled any campaign promises.

John Doe is an empty suit running on an anti-populist platform.

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