backstairs influence
Preserved but no longer current.
Private or unrecog- nized influence, especially at Court. Royal palaces have more than one staircase, and those who sought the sovereign upon private matters would use one in an unobtrusive position; it was, therefore, highly desirable to conciliate the servants or underlings in charge of the "back stairs.
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 “backstairs influence” mean?
Private or unrecog- nized influence, especially at Court. Royal palaces have more than one staircase, and those who sought the sovereign upon private matters would use one in an unobtrusive position; it was, therefore, highly desirable to conciliate the servants or underlings in charge of the "back stairs.
Is “backstairs influence” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.