Bibs and bows

Posted by Victoria S Dennis July 27, 2009 at 19:56In reply to Bibs and bows posted by Stephen on July 27, 2009 at 18:57:

In "Everybody Knows", Leonard Cohen has the phrase "bibs and bows". What's it's origin? No phrase dictionary seems to include it.

Are you sure he said "bibs and bows"? All the sources I can find say it was "ribbons and bows" - e.g. here: www.lyricsfreak.com/ l/leonard+cohen/everybody+knows_20082809.html.
Are you perhaps conflating his "ribbons and bows" with the traditional phrase "best bib and tucker", which derives from the clothing of small 17th- and 18th-century children? (VSD)