ENGLISH
REFERENCE

handbags at dawn

idiom

A catty squabble.


Anchors to
Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    crack of dawn

    The first moment of daylight; the instant at which sunrise begins.

  2. 02

    dawn of a new day

    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

  3. 03

    dawn of time

    The beginning of time, of the universe, of the world, of mankind or of history.

  4. 04

    dawn on

    To occur to somebody; to be realized by.

  5. 05

    handbags at ten paces

    Synonym of handbags at dawn (“a catty squabble”).

  6. 06

    new dawn

    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

  7. 07

    the handbags come out

    A row intensifies; a dispute becomes heated.

© 2026 English Reference