bachelor's handbag

English

Alternative forms

• Bachelor's Handbag

Etymology

From bachelor +‎ -'s +‎ handbag, apparently from the observation that single men would rather purchase the ready-to-eat poultry in a bag than cook it themselves.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Noun

bachelor's handbag (plural bachelor's handbags)

1. (Australia, slang) A roast chicken sold in a disposable plastic carry bag with a handle.

   The Betoota Advocate (2021 October 26) Betoota-isms, Pan Macmillan Australia, →ISBN: “Items such as the Bachelor’s Handbag, for example. To the casual observer, it’s just a roast chicken in a plastic bag from a supermarket. In our town, it’s an accessory. A status symbol.”

Further reading

• “Teal, spicy cough and bachelor’s handbag: the contenders for Macquarie Dictionary’s 2022 word of the year” by Natasha May (2022-11-21), published in The Guardian.