Paper Tiger Bar

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Dive bar in North Koreatown

With live music.

Still open as of April 2025.

The term “paper tiger” refers to something or someone that appears powerful or threatening but is actually ineffective and unable to withstand challenge. It is a calque of the Chinese phrase 纸老虎 (zhǐlǎohǔ), meaning literally “paper tiger” and used to describe entities that look fierce but are weak in reality.

The phrase became internationally known through Mao Zedong, who used it as a slogan against political opponents, especially the United States. Mao described reactionaries and imperialism as “paper tigers,” powerful in appearance but ultimately vulnerable and unable to sustain their power without popular support. For example, Mao famously called the atom bomb a paper tiger, terrifying in appearance but not decisive in war outcomes.