Brother Jonathan
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
When Washington was in want of ammunition, he called a council of officers, but no practical suggestion could be offered.
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 “Brother Jonathan” mean?
When Washington was in want of ammunition, he called a council of officers, but no practical suggestion could be offered.
Is “Brother Jonathan” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.