business to-morrow
Preserved but no longer current.
When the Spartans seized upon Thebes they placed Archias over the garrison. Pelopidas, with eleven others, banded together to put Archias to the sword. A letter containing full details of the plot was given to the Spartan polemarch at the banquet table; but Archias thrust the letter under his cushion, saying, "Business to-morrow." But long ere that sun arose he was numbered with the 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 “business to-morrow” mean?
When the Spartans seized upon Thebes they placed Archias over the garrison. Pelopidas, with eleven others, banded together to put Archias to the sword. A letter containing full details of the plot was given to the Spartan polemarch at the banquet table; but Archias thrust the letter under his cushion, saying, "Business to-morrow." But long ere that sun arose he was numbered with the dead.
Is “business to-morrow” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.