handbags

British  

/ ˈhændˌbæɡz /

plural noun

1. facetious an incident in which people, esp sportsmen, fight or threaten to fight, but without real intent to inflict harm (esp in the phrases handbags at dawn, handbags at twenty paces, etc)

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Example Sentences

"The co-ordinator and her cronies were busy shopping for handbags online."

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Designer handbags from brands such as YSL were cited in the investigation and valued at nearly $3,000 each while luxury Gucci shoes were priced at over $1,000.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Kim was found to have accepted two Chanel handbags and a Graff necklace from the church, with the court ruling on Tuesday that all three items were bribes.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

The southern island province became a duty-free magnet, packed with luxury storefronts, giant malls and travelers loading up on cosmetics, handbags and liquor instead of flying to Seoul, Tokyo or Paris.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

There aren’t any letter carriers, pretty girls, old men, people with handbags, babies in strollers, or any of the other things Rootbeer usually barks at.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins