big girl's blouse

English

Etymology

First recorded (1969) in the television sitcom Nearest and Dearest, used by the character Nellie Pledge (played by comedienne Hylda Baker). It has been suggested that Baker had previously used this expression in her stage act.

Noun

big girl's blouse (plural big girl's blouses or big girls' blouses)

1. (informal, British, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, derogatory) An effeminate or weak man, a sissy.
   • 2002 June, “Question to David Beckham”, in Marie Claire‎:

     You can see why people might think you’re a bit of a big girl’s blouse, because you have manicures, sunbeds and bleach your hair.

   • 2013, Ian Botham, Beefy's Cricket Tales: My Favourite Stories from On and Off the Field, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 134:

     The reason for this was not because I was a big girl's blouse – no matter what anyone else says – but because as a fast bowler the big toe on the landing foot, which was the right in my case, is always in a state of disrepair.

   • 2019 September 4, Boris Johnson, Prime Minister's Questions, Response to Jeremy Corbyn (the Leader of the Opposition), House of Commons:

     Call an election, you great big girl's blouse.

Synonyms

• nancyboy, pantywaist, pansy, wuss; see also Thesaurus:milksop or Thesaurus:effeminate man

Further reading

• “big girl's blouse”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• Michael Quinion (1996–2024) “Big girl's blouse”, in World Wide Words.