battle bowler
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
This was a nickname given in World War I to the steel helmet or "tin hat" worn at the front. Used again 1939-45, when it was also called a "tin topee.
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 “battle bowler” mean?
This was a nickname given in World War I to the steel helmet or "tin hat" worn at the front. Used again 1939-45, when it was also called a "tin topee.
Is “battle bowler” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.