bluebeard's key
Preserved but no longer current.
When the blood stain of this key was rubbed out on one side, it appeared on the opposite side; so prodigality being overcome will appear m the form of meanness; and friends, over-fond, will often become enemies.
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 “bluebeard's key” mean?
When the blood stain of this key was rubbed out on one side, it appeared on the opposite side; so prodigality being overcome will appear m the form of meanness; and friends, over-fond, will often become enemies.
Is “bluebeard's key” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.