pocket pistol
Preserved but no longer current.
See POCKET. To fire one's pistol in the air. Purposely to refrain from injuring an adversary. The phrase is often used of argument, and refers to the old practice of duellers doing this when they wished to discharge a "debt of honour" without in- curring risks.
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 “pocket pistol” mean?
See POCKET. To fire one's pistol in the air. Purposely to refrain from injuring an adversary. The phrase is often used of argument, and refers to the old practice of duellers doing this when they wished to discharge a "debt of honour" without in- curring risks.
Is “pocket pistol” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.