nine tailors make a man
nine tailors make a man
1. A phrase spoken after the custom of ringing church bells for a deceased male. The number of times the bells rang traditionally indicated the deceased person's sex, with a male receiving nine "tellers," or tolls, of the bell. A: "Did you hear the bells ringing?" B: "I did. Nine tailors make a man."
2. The phrase was also used to mock tailors as frail and ineffectual, in comparison to the average man. You will certainly best him in a duel. He's a tailor, after all, and nine tailors make a man!
See also: make, man, nine, tailor
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
- wear the cap and bells
- hell's bells
- Hell's bells!
- hell's bells and buckets of blood
- Hell’s bells and buckets of blood!
- set alarm bells ringing
- ring with
- warning bells start ringing
- alarm bells start ringing
- here lies (someone)