Arabian Desert on the W
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Since World War I — as a consequence of which it was freed from Turkish rule and constituted a separate king- dom—its name has been changed to Irak (#,v.), or Iraq.
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 “Arabian Desert on the W” mean?
Since World War I — as a consequence of which it was freed from Turkish rule and constituted a separate king- dom—its name has been changed to Irak (#,v.), or Iraq.
Is “Arabian Desert on the W” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.