baron of beef
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Two sirloins left uncut at the backbone. The baron is the backpart of the ox, called in Danish, the rug. Jocosely, but wrongly, said to be a pun upon baron and sir loin.
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 “baron of beef” mean?
Two sirloins left uncut at the backbone. The baron is the backpart of the ox, called in Danish, the rug. Jocosely, but wrongly, said to be a pun upon baron and sir loin.
Is “baron of beef” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.