As the Scottish host stared stupefied, Bruce lightly eluded the lance and then brought his battle-axe down with such force that the English knight was split from skull to saddle.
First, Shirley's mother (Margaret Dumont, that grand battle-axe of Marx Brothers fame) warns her about the high cost of scruples.
Gresham was an assertive "battle-axe" (Lewis' term) whose brassiness embarrassed his donnish cronies.
Jon Stewart in National Post The Toronto-sprung sidekick to Jon Stewart tells the magazine: "I'm going to be the old battle-axe. They may have to pry my cold dead hands off the microphone."