a slow coach
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A dullard, an unprogressive person. What a dull, old-fashioned ch£gp thou be'st . . . but thou wert always a slow-coach. — MRS. GASKELL: Cibbie Marsh (Era 2).
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 slow coach” mean?
A dullard, an unprogressive person. What a dull, old-fashioned ch£gp thou be'st . . . but thou wert always a slow-coach. — MRS. GASKELL: Cibbie Marsh (Era 2).
Is “a slow coach” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.