to pull caps
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To quarrel like two women, who pull each other's caps. An obsolete phrase, used only of women.
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 pull caps” mean?
To quarrel like two women, who pull each other's caps. An obsolete phrase, used only of women.
Is “to pull caps” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.