Word.ws English Dictionary

smelt like a tart's handbag

smelt like a tart's handbag is the simple past and past participle of smell like a tart's handbag.

Meaning of smell like a tart's handbag

Verb

smell like a tart's handbag (third-person singular simple present smells like a tart's handbag, present participle smelling like a tart's handbag, simple past and past participle smelt like a tart's handbag or smelled like a tart's handbag)

  1. (UK, derogatory, idiomatic, slang, simile) To smell strongly of perfume.
    • "Phew," he said, following her into the room. "It smells like a tart's handbag in here."2004, Carole Matthews, The Scent of Scandal, page 12

Questions about smelt like a tart's handbag

What is smelt like a tart's handbag the simple past and past participle of?
Smelt like a tart's handbag is the simple past and past participle of smell like a tart's handbag.

Words near smelt like a tart's handbag in the dictionary

  1. smelt a rat
  2. smelt blood
  3. smelt like a rose
  4. smelt like a tart's bedroom
  5. smelt like a tart's boudoir
  6. smelt like a tart's handbag
  7. smelt like a tart's handkerchief
  8. smelt of the lamp
  9. smelt of the shop
  10. smelt out
  11. smelt the barn

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: smelt like a tart's handbag (page history and authors); smell like a tart's handbag (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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