phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Wigs on the lawn

Posted by David FG on February 03, 2010 at 18:06

In Reply to: Wigs on the lawn posted by Victoria S Dennis on February 03, 2010 at 15:45:

: : I'm looking for the origin and meaning of the phrase, "wigs on the lawn."

: You are more likely to find it if you give the context in which you encountered it. (VSD)

I am familiar with the phrase 'wigs on the green', which is an Irish phrase (and like so many others, is used more by people attempting an imitation of the Irish than by we ourselves) meaning 'there will be trouble - a fight will break out'.

It has been suggested that it dates to the time when gentlemen wore wigs as a matter of course (rather than to cover hair loss). If a fight did break out, it would be a common occurrence for those wigs to fall off and land on the ground.

DFG

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.