Barren's Blues
Preserved but no longer current.
The 4th Foot ; so called from the colour of their facings, and William Barrel!, colonel of the regiment (1734-9). Now called "The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regi- ment)." They were called "Lions" from their badge, the Lion of England.
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 “Barren's Blues” mean?
The 4th Foot ; so called from the colour of their facings, and William Barrel!, colonel of the regiment (1734-9). Now called "The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regi- ment)." They were called "Lions" from their badge, the Lion of England.
Is “Barren's Blues” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.