to give chapter and verse
Preserved but no longer current.
To give the exact authority of a statement, as the name of the author, the title of the book, the date, the chapter referred to, and any other particular which might render the reference easily discoverable.
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 “to give chapter and verse” mean?
To give the exact authority of a statement, as the name of the author, the title of the book, the date, the chapter referred to, and any other particular which might render the reference easily discoverable.
Is “to give chapter and verse” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.