“All gurgle and no guts”

“All gurgle and no guts” is a saying that has been printed on several images. The saying is popular in Texas and is used to describe someone who is boastful, but doesn’t have the guts to back it up.
   
“He’s all gurgle and no gut” was printed in Western Folklore in 1946. “Trouble with them Washington bureaucrats is that most of ‘em are all gurgle and no gut” was printed in The Cattleman in 1968. “All gurgle an’ no guts” was printed in the Santa Cruz (CA) Sentinel on December 10, 1971. “He’s all gurgle and no gut” was printed in the Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution on April 23, 1972.
 
     
Google Books
Western Folklore
California Folklore Society
Volume 5
1946
Pg. 353:
He’s all gurgle and no gut. 
 
Google Books
The Cattleman
Volume 55
1968
Pg. 74:
(From “Cracks in the Old Corral” by Rattlesnake Robert.—ed.)
Trouble with them Washington bureaucrats is that most of ‘em are all gurgle and no gut.
   
10 December 1971, Santa Cruz (CA) Sentinel,  “Show and Autograph Party For Local Cowboy Artist” by Mildred Ann Smith, pg. 4, col. 3:
(The book Cowboy Slang by Ron Scofield and Edgar R. Potter.—ed.)
Typical of the cowpoke’s slang in this gem describing (...) a coward, “all gurgle an’ no guts”; ...
   
23 April 1972, Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution, “Grass Roots Yield Wit and Wisdom” by John Raymond, pg. 6-C, col. 3:
(Review of the book Folklore on the American Land by Duncan Emrich.—ed.)
Sample proverbs from all over hell and half of Georgia: “he looks like the tail end of bad luck;” “he’s all gurgle and no gut;” ...
 
Google Books
The Bishop’s Horse Race
By Blaine M. Yorgason and Brenton G. Yorgason
Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft
1979
Pg. 10:
All gurgle and no guts!
     
Google Books
Leatherhand
By Mike Wales
New York, NY: Pinnacle Books
1983
Pg. 123:
Glancing at him, Lilly observed, “Looks all gurgle and no guts.”
 
10 April 1988,

(Baton Rouge, LA), “Words to live by” by Ed Cullen, pg. 7G, col. 1:
“Stay shy of a man who’s all gurgle and no guts,” one of the sayings went.
 
Google Books
Way Out West
By Jane Stern and Michael Stern
New York, NY: HarperCollins
1993
Pg. 10:
A braggart who is “all gurgle and no guts” is not tolerated.
 
Texas Monthly
DECEMBER 1994
More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At
622 wise and witty ways to talk Texan.
By Anne Dingus
(...)
Boastful
He can strut sitting down.
He’s all hat and no cattle.
She’s all gurgle and no guts.
 
Google Books
Texas Bad Girls:
Hussies, Harlots, and Horse Thieves
By J. Lee Butts
Lanham, MD: Lone Star Books
2016
Pg. 119:
As most of the all-gurgle-and-no-guts crowd trampled each other to get out the nearest door or window, Lottie simply pushed away from the table and moved to a safer corner.
   
Twitter
Gabriella Farcais
@GabbiFarcais
Replying to @DearAuntCrabby @SenatorCollins
Anyone who STILL believes she will do as she pretends, WAKE THE HELL UP.  As we say in Texas, she’s all gurgle and no guts.
7:54 PM - 21 Feb 2019