Black and Tans
Preserved but no longer current.
Members of the irregular force enlisted in 1920 for service in Ireland as auxiliaries to the Royal Irish Constabulary. So called because their original uniform was the army khaki with the black leather accoutre- ments of the R.
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 “Black and Tans” mean?
Members of the irregular force enlisted in 1920 for service in Ireland as auxiliaries to the Royal Irish Constabulary. So called because their original uniform was the army khaki with the black leather accoutre- ments of the R.
Is “Black and Tans” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.