Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.

Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train

Alternative form of down the tubes

(idiomatic, euphemistic) Synonym of down the toilet: wasted; irretrievable.

Alternative form of swing for the fences

To promulgate law. / (law, dated) To present the law that applies to a given case. / (idiomatic) To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

plural of castle in the air

(idiomatic) A desire, idea, or plan that is unlikely to ever be realized; a visionary project or scheme; a daydream, an idle fancy, a near impossibility.

(rare, humorous, idiomatic) An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; compare hair of the dog.

Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train