The Velvet Hammer

Posted by Steve on November 17, 2004

I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me about the origin of this expression. (e.g. James Baker was nicknamed as the Velvet Hammer.) Is it anything to do with the proverbial expression 'an/the iron hand/fist in a/the velvet glove'?

- what the word origin is (Bible?);
- why V and H are capital letters, and
- why it is with 'the'.