Banks's Horse
Preserved but no longer current.
A horse trained to do all manner of tricks, called Marocco, and be- longing to one Banks about the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. One of his exploits is said to have been the ascent of St. Paul's steeple. A favourite story of the time is of an apprentice who called his master to see the spectacle.
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 “Banks's Horse” mean?
A horse trained to do all manner of tricks, called Marocco, and be- longing to one Banks about the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. One of his exploits is said to have been the ascent of St. Paul's steeple. A favourite story of the time is of an apprentice who called his master to see the spectacle.
Is “Banks's Horse” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.