Etymology:
- The Emperor Has No Clothes is an idiomatic phrase, that comes from a tale by Hans Christian Andersen where a vain emperor is tricked by two swindlers who promise to make him a set of clothes that are invisible to anyone who is unfit to hold their office or is stupid.
- In reality, the swindlers are just pretending to weave the clothes, and the emperor ends up walking naked in a parade, unwilling to admit that he cannot see his own clothes.
- The phrase has since become an idiom used to describe a situation where someone is pretending to be something they are not, or when something is revealed to be a fraud. It’s a way of pointing out that someone is not as powerful or impressive as they claim to be, or of exposing a lie or deception.
- So next time you hear someone say “The Emperor Has No Clothes,” you’ll know that it’s a clever way of calling out someone’s bluff.
- 118 Views
After his former company was caught stealing billions from the federal government he was voted in as governor, then as a senator. I feel like I'm running around saying, "The emperor has no clothes!" but people just aren't listening and vote for him anyway.
Submitted by TriplePurple on November 29, 2023
Translation
Find a translation for the the emperor has no clothes phrase in other languages:
L'imperatore è nudo
皇帝没穿衣服
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Nearby phrases
Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to the emperor has no clothes
who has a sporting spirit wins without …that ship has already sailedworm has turnedthat ship has sailedthat train has already left the stationword has itrumour has itlook as if one has lost a shilling and …sell my clothes, I'm going to heaventhe wealthiest man has the biggest hump.success has many fathers, failure is an…my car has broken downmore than someone has had hot dinnersno matter how flat you make a pancake, …
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"the emperor has no clothes." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/the-emperor-has-no-clothes_63968>.
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