Handbags

Handbags (noun / UK Slang)

(Also heard as: Handbags at dawn, Handbags at ten paces, Handbagging)

Definition:

Handbags is a fight that is all noise and posturing with little real violence. It describes people squaring up, pushing and shouting but barely landing a punch.

Where Handbags Comes From:

The idea is two people having a fight with handbags, a joke about a harmless, flappy scrap. It spread through football commentary and pub talk, and “handbags at dawn” is the well-known twist on a duel.

How People Actually Use Handbags:

Used mostly in sport and politics for a petty, heated row: “it was all handbags”. It is teasing, and it makes the fight sound silly.

Is Handbags Rude?

Mildly dismissive, and it can annoy people who feel their argument is being brushed off. It is not a swear word.

Examples in the Wild:

• “Bit of handbags in the six-yard box, nobody hurt.”Meaning: A little pushing and shoving, nothing serious.
• “Handbags at dawn between the two of them again.”Meaning: They are having another pointless, noisy row.
• “It looked like a fight, but it was all handbags.”Meaning: Lots of posturing, not much fighting.

Similar Slang:

Scrap, Barney, Argy-Bargy, Beef

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