to pocket an insult
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To submit to an insult without showing annoyance. To put one's hand in one's pocket. To give money (generally to some chanty).
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 pocket an insult” mean?
To submit to an insult without showing annoyance. To put one's hand in one's pocket. To give money (generally to some chanty).
Is “to pocket an insult” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.