Green’s Dictionary of Slang

trunkmaker-like adj.

[SE trunkmaker, one who makes trunks or boxes; thus the noise so created]

used of someone who makes more noise than they do real work.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1873		Sl. Dict.