brace and the spider
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In 1305 Robert Bruce was crowned at Scone king of Scotland, but, being attacked by the English, retreated to Ireland, and all supposed him to be dead.
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 “brace and the spider” mean?
In 1305 Robert Bruce was crowned at Scone king of Scotland, but, being attacked by the English, retreated to Ireland, and all supposed him to be dead.
Is “brace and the spider” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.