green bag

or green-bag

noun

, British.

1. a bag or briefcase made of green cloth, formerly used by lawyers for carrying documents.
2. Slang.
   1. the legal profession.
   2. a lawyer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of green bag¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

My mother, Madam, had been delivered sooner than the green bag infallibly——at least by twenty knots.

From Project Gutenberg

Documents full of abominable details were deposited in a “green bag,” which called to mind the words in Job xiv.

From Project Gutenberg

The luggage included a basket of Bordeaux, a surgeon's case, a chest of medicine, and a violin in a green bag.

From Project Gutenberg

Now he had an instinctive horror of a green bag, as he had once the honour of occupying a small corner of one.

From Project Gutenberg

He wore glasses, long hair, carried an umbrella and a green bag; in fact, one might have met him in a vegetarian restaurant.

From Project Gutenberg