Giblets : noun The giblets offal bran: head, legs and other distinct and edible parts of a volaille.
By extension members of the human body (feet and hands).
Have the scoundrels: have massive ends, big hands and broad feet, which eloquently testify to a plebeian origin.
The phrase "number your giblets" means to prepare for a fight as if you risk losing the integrity and disposition of your members. You can number your giblets! (threatens).
The bizarre image conveyed by this expression is in fact that of the person, who preparing for a fight, must count (or number) his arms or his legs in order to be able to find them at the end of the battle. The expression, which dates from the XNUMXth century, is often used in the form of a threat: "don't look for me or else, number your giblets!" ".
The word abattis comes to us from the XNUMXth century when it meant "massacre" before taking, in the XNUMXth century, the meaning of "slaughterhouse". At the same time, since we are talking about a slaughterhouse, the place where the necks and legs of animals (which are part of offal) are cut, it has taken on the slang meaning of “arms and legs”. And it is with this last meaning, that it is used in the current expression indicating the person who counts his members, whether it is before the battle (first meaning indicated) or after the fight (second meaning however clearly less used).