Alexander the Corrector
Preserved but no longer current.
The self-assumed nickname of Alexander Cruden (1701-1770), compiler of the Concordance of the Bible. After being, on more than one occasion, confined in a lunatic asylum he became a reader for the Press, and later developed a mania for going about constantly with a sponge to wipe out the licentious, coarse, and profane chalk scrawls which met his eye.
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 “Alexander the Corrector” mean?
The self-assumed nickname of Alexander Cruden (1701-1770), compiler of the Concordance of the Bible. After being, on more than one occasion, confined in a lunatic asylum he became a reader for the Press, and later developed a mania for going about constantly with a sponge to wipe out the licentious, coarse, and profane chalk scrawls which met his eye.
Is “Alexander the Corrector” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.