pocketbook
A purse, or sometimes a man's billfold, depending on who is talking.
Also called purse, handbag.
Updated September 24, 2026
pocketbook pronunciation
/POCK-it-book/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, pocketbook usually means a woman's purse: "grab my pocketbook off the table." Older mountain men sometimes called a billfold a pocketbook too. You will also hear it for money itself, like a doctor reaching for your pocketbook. Younger folks often say purse or bag, but mamaw still wants her pocketbook.
How folks use it
- “Hand me my pocketbook; I left my glasses in it.”
- “That repair bill is gonna hurt the pocketbook.”
Origin and etymology
Started as a small book carried in a pocket (1600s), then a leather folder for papers and bills (1700s), then a woman's purse by the early 1800s. Blind Pig and The Acorn notes Appalachian women still favor pocketbook for purse, and some older men used it for a billfold. The money sense grew from the wallet meaning: hit somebody in the pocketbook means hit their cash.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pocketbook different from a purse?
Same bag for most Southern speakers. Pocketbook is just the older word a lot of families stuck with.