a friend at court
Preserved but no longer current.
Properly, a friend in a court of law who watches the trial and tells the judge if he can discover an error (see AMICUS CURLE). The term is generally applied to a friend who is hi a position to help one by influencing those in power.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a friend at court” mean?
Properly, a friend in a court of law who watches the trial and tells the judge if he can discover an error (see AMICUS CURLE). The term is generally applied to a friend who is hi a position to help one by influencing those in power.
Is “a friend at court” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.