turn one's coat

English

Alternative forms

• turn coat

Etymology

From the practice of turning one's uniform coat inside out in order to hide the colors reflecting one's allegiance.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

turn one's coat (third-person singular simple present turns one's coat, present participle turning one's coat, simple past and past participle turned one's coat)

1. (idiomatic) To turn against a previous affiliation or allegiance.
   • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose:

     To meet the exigence of the moment, a considerable army was raised under General Baillie, a Presbyterian officer of skill and fidelity, with whom was joined in command the celebrated Sir John Urrie, a soldier of fortune like Dalgetty, who had already changed sides twice during the Civil War, and was destined to turn his coat a third time before it was ended.

   • 2012, Nigel Tranter, The Wallace, →ISBN:

     Bruce would scarcely have found this sufficient cause to turn his coat.

   • 2014, Scott Stanley, Betrayal of the Cloak, →ISBN, page 44:

     He also knew that here, in Connecticut, the chance of finding rebels who would turn their coats was far greater than it was in Boston which, for over two years now, had been the epicenter of the unrest that threatened peace with Britain.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn,‎ coat.

Synonyms

• change sides, defect

Translations

to turn against a previous affiliation of allegiance

• Finnish: kääntää takkinsa (fi)
• French: retourner sa veste (fr), tourner casaque (fr)
• Polish: przechodzić do wrogiego obozu impf, przejść do wrogiego obozu pf
• Portuguese: virar a casaca
• Russian: переметну́ться (ru) pf (peremetnútʹsja)
• Swedish: vända kappan efter vinden (sv)

See also

• turncoat