an ass with two panniers
Preserved but no longer current.
Said of a man walking the streets with a lady on each arm. The Italian equivalent is a pitcher with two- handles, and formerly it was called in London walking bodkin (#.v.). Our expression is from the French faire le panier a deux anses, a colloquialism for walking with a lady on each arm.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “an ass with two panniers” mean?
Said of a man walking the streets with a lady on each arm. The Italian equivalent is a pitcher with two- handles, and formerly it was called in London walking bodkin (#.v.). Our expression is from the French faire le panier a deux anses, a colloquialism for walking with a lady on each arm.
Is “an ass with two panniers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.