a paper tiger · Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see papieren, tijger.
çekim: çoğul papieren tijgers
köken: Calque from Chinese 紙老虎/纸老虎 (zhǐlǎohǔ). Literally, “paper tiger”. Mentioned since the mid-nineteenth century, but not used until considerably later. Popularised by Mao Zedong and other Chinese communists.
köken: Ultimately a calque of Chinese 紙老虎 /纸老虎 (zhǐlǎohǔ). Compare Italian tigre di carta, French tigre de papier, English paper tiger, German Papiertiger, Polish papierowy tygrys.