on the bounce
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Ostentatiously swaggering. Trying to effect some object "on the bounce" is trying to attain one's end through making an impression that is unwarrantable.
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 “on the bounce” mean?
Ostentatiously swaggering. Trying to effect some object "on the bounce" is trying to attain one's end through making an impression that is unwarrantable.
Is “on the bounce” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.