chapter and verse

English

Etymology

From the practice, especially among Christian Protestants, of using quotations from the Bible to support positions taken in sermons or discussions, citing the specific chapter and verse of the books of the Bible.

Noun

chapter and verse (uncountable)

1. (literally) The chapter number and verse number (within a particular book) that locate a quotation from the Bible.
   • 1907, Mark Twain, Christian Science‎^[1]:

     In the other dispute (“Did Jesus anywhere claim to be God?”) the same kind of men—trained and learned clergymen—backed up their arguments with chapter and verse.

2. Specific references from an authoritative book or document, cited to support a statement or position.
   • 1908, Maud Churton Braby, “Polygamy at the polite dinner-table”, in Modern Marriage and How to Bear It:

     ‘I deny the first statement,’ said the Good Stockbroker heatedly. He was always heated where questions of morality were concerned, and was proceeding to give chapter and verse for what promised to become a somewhat dull discussion when the Bluestocking firmly interposed in her small staccato pipe: […]

3. (informal) Very full and detailed information.

   The main suspect refused to answer any questions, but the police got chapter and verse from his accomplice.

   • 1903, Henry James, The Ambassadors‎^[2]:

     She abounded in news of the situation at home, proved to him how perfectly she was arranging for his absence, told him who would take up this and who take up that exactly where he had left it, gave him in fact chapter and verse for the moral that nothing would suffer.