拉大旗作虎皮

lādàqízuòhǔpí
  1. lit. to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin (idiom)
  2. fig. to borrow sb's prestige
  3. to take the name of a great cause as a shield

CEDICT

比喻仗着别人的威势，来保护自己、吓唬他人。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 拉 lā
  1. to pull
  2. to play (a bowed instrument)
  3. to drag
  4. to draw
  5. to chat
  6. (coll.) to empty one's bowels
2 大旗 dàqí banner
3 作 zuò
  1. to do; to engage in
  2. to write; to compose
  3. to pretend; to feign
  4. to regard as; to consider to be
  5. to be; to act the part of
  6. to feel (itchy, nauseous etc)
  7. writings; works
4 虎皮 hǔpí
  1. short for 虎皮鸚鵡／虎皮鹦鹉 (hǔpí yīngwǔ, “budgie”)
  2. skin of tiger