arero kau
1. (intransitive verb) to pay lip service.
Ko tō tātou āhua e pēnei ana, ko te whakahē ki te hoko a te Kāwanatanga kei te arero kau, ko ngā ringaringa e hiahia noa ana ki te kaute i ngā moni mō tōna whenua (TWMNT 21/3/1876:73). / Our nature is that with our tongues only we condemn the purchases by the Government, while our hands itch to count the money we receive in payment for the land.
2. (noun) empty words, mere words, one who throws around empty words.
He arero kau, he nui te kōrero, ko te mahi ia, korekore nei (HJ 2017:18). / He’s one who throws around empty words, but there’s no action.
