handbagging

English

Etymology

From handbag +‎ -ing. Originally, a metonymic reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.[1]

Noun

handbagging (plural handbaggings)

  1. (UK, humorous) A verbal attack or criticism.
    Synonyms: harangue, rant, tirade; animadversion, criticization, stricture; see also Thesaurus:critique
    • 1994, Jonathan Petre, By Sex Divided: The Church of England and Women Priests, Fount, →ISBN, page 100:
      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.
    • 2011 December 7, Ed Miliband, “Engagements”, in Hansard‎[1], volume 537, House of Commons:
      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.
    • 2014 November 10, Jon Sopel, “And then Ron said to Maggie”, in BBC News‎[2]:
      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.

Verb

handbagging

  1. present participle and gerund of handbag

References

  1. ^ David Levi-Faur, editor (2012), The Oxford Handbook of Governance, OUP Oxford, →ISBN, page 316:
    Governance appeared to give way to hierarchical and even impositional Government, hence the invention of the new verb “to handbag” (coined because Mrs Thatcher always carried a large handbag and it was said that she could not look at any existing British institution without hitting it with her handbag).
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