a queer card
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An eccentric person, "indifferent honest"; one who may be "all right," but whose proceedings arouse mild suspicion and do not inspire confidence.
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 queer card” mean?
An eccentric person, "indifferent honest"; one who may be "all right," but whose proceedings arouse mild suspicion and do not inspire confidence.
Is “a queer card” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.