gas-bag

A man at the party is a real gas-bag, talking endlessly.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An aircraft filled with gas: "gas-bag" refers to a type of lighter-than-air aircraft, such as a balloon or airship, that is inflated with a gas (e.g., helium or hydrogen) to achieve lift.
   • A person who talks excessively: In informal usage, "gas-bag" denotes a person who talks too much, often in a boastful or empty manner; a windbag.

Usage Examples

• Noun (aircraft):

  • The old gas-bag drifted slowly over the countryside. (The gas-filled balloon moved gently across the landscape.)

• Noun (person):

  • He's a terrible gas-bag at parties, always dominating the conversation with boring stories. (He talks excessively and tiresomely.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a gas-bag": to be a person who talks a lot without saying anything meaningful.
  • Stop being such a gas-bag and get to the point. (Stop talking excessively and be concise.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gas-bag (n): the standard spelling; also written as (one word) in informal contexts.
• Windbag (n): a synonym for a person who talks too much.

Synonyms

• For the aircraft: balloon, airship, dirigible, blimp.
• For the person: windbag, chatterbox, blabbermouth, bigmouth (informal).

Related Idioms

• "to have a gas bag" (rare): to have a lot of empty talk.
  • He's always got a gas bag going; you can't get a word in edgewise. (He talks incessantly.)

Notes

• The term "gas-bag" is somewhat dated and informal, especially when referring to a person. It is more common in British English.