English · Idiom Historical

the buttons come off the foils

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Figuratively, the courtesies of controversy are neglected. The button of a foil is the piece of cork fixed to the end to protect the point and prevent injury m fencing.

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “the buttons come off the foils” mean?

Figuratively, the courtesies of controversy are neglected. The button of a foil is the piece of cork fixed to the end to protect the point and prevent injury m fencing.

Is “the buttons come off the foils” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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