off his own bat
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
By his own exertions; on his own account. A cricketer's phrase, meaning runs won by a single player.
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 “off his own bat” mean?
By his own exertions; on his own account. A cricketer's phrase, meaning runs won by a single player.
Is “off his own bat” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.