Blue Monday
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The Monday before Lent, spent in dissipation. It is said that dissipation gives everything a blue tinge. Hence "blue" means tipsy.
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 “Blue Monday” mean?
The Monday before Lent, spent in dissipation. It is said that dissipation gives everything a blue tinge. Hence "blue" means tipsy.
Is “Blue Monday” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.