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Men in suitsMeaningBusinessmen/bureaucrats/soldiers and the like who follow convention and the company line. Also called just 'suits'. OriginThe literal meaning, i.e. males wearing suits has obviously been part of the language for as long as suits have. The phrase was first used with a specific rather than general meaning to refer to US sports players - the suits being the sporting gear This usage is known since at least the 1930s - for example, this piece from The Ogden Standard-Examiner, April 1933:
It isn't clear who first used the term 'men in suits' to describe conventional business people. John Lennon described the people who controlled The Beatles' financial interests as 'men in suits'. Phrasefinder is also on
Tudor Phrases and Sayings - a book on the meanings and origins of the phrases and sayings that Shakespeare and Henry VIII used that we use still use every day. |
