Shoot one's cuffs

Posted by Sandy on March 08, 2003

In Reply to: Shoot one's cuffs posted by Nano on February 19, 2003

: I am baffled by this phrase, which appears in Jane Austin-era novels: "He shot his cuffs." Any ideas? The action is often modified with "angrily" or "quickly."

To show that you do not have off the peg shirts, a small show of white cuff below the suit jacket sleeve, in order to show your cuff links too, the person stretches the arm forward allowing the shirt cuff, to "shoot forward" displaying the expensive linen or cotton shirt.