handbags at ten paces

Meanings:

• 1.

  United Kingdomhumorouscolloquialfigurative
  • A petty or catty quarrel, synonymous with a trivial, spiteful dispute presented in a mockly formal or confrontational way.

• 2.

  United KingdomGlobalhumorousliteral
  • A facetious image of opponents meeting at a set distance to fight using handbags, parodying formal duels.