English · Idiom Historical

andrew's cross

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Quite common in ancient sculpture. The Latin cross or crux immissa. This symbol is found on coins, monuments, and medals long before the Christian era.

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “andrew's cross” mean?

Quite common in ancient sculpture. The Latin cross or crux immissa. This symbol is found on coins, monuments, and medals long before the Christian era.

Is “andrew's cross” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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