Philadelphia lawyer

English

Etymology

Possibly derived from Andrew Hamilton's skillful defense of John Peter Zenger in 1735, though, as the phrase is not attested until 1788, this is uncertain.

Noun

Philadelphia lawyer (plural Philadelphia lawyers)

1. (US) A clever, crafty, or otherwise extremely adroit practitioner of law.

Usage notes

• Of something extremely hard to understand or resolve, it may be said that it would (or is enough to) puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer.

Synonyms

• legal beagle
• legal eagle