Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

handbagging

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: hand-bag-ging
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A verbal attack or criticism.

British usage; Humorous

verb

present participle and gerund of handbag

Example Sentences

"Much of the resistance to women at the altar had always derived from women in the pews; Dr Hewitt's handbagging style helped to undermine the feminists' refrain that these women's conservatism was the result of brutal oppression by men."
"I think the short answer is that six weeks ago the Prime Minister was promising his Back Benchers a handbagging for Europe, but now he is reduced to hand wringing."
"In Downing Street there was urgent fury, and it was coming from Margaret Thatcher, ready to give a handbagging to anyone who got in her way."

Etymology

From handbag + -ing. Originally, a metonymic reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

Usage

British usage
Humorous

Inflected Forms

handbaggings (plural)

Synonyms

harangue rant tirade animadversion criticization stricture criticism critique dressing-down handbagging slam

Questions

What does handbagging mean?: A verbal attack or criticism.
Where does handbagging come from?: From handbag + -ing. Originally, a metonymic reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

How to pronounce handbagging

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