hand ‧ bag S3 /ˈhændbæɡ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a small bag in which a woman carries money and personal things SYN purse American English
2 . handbags informal used humorously to describe a situation in which two people are fighting, but in a way that is so weak or lacking in force that the fight is funny to watch:
Dennis looked like he threw a punch, but it was just handbags.