cherry fairs
Preserved but no longer current.
The old counterpart of the modern tea-gardens; cherry-orchards where sales of fruit were held, such gatherings frequently developing into boisterous scenes. From their temporary character they came to be used as typifications of the evanescence of life; thus Gower says of this world, "Alle is but a cherye-fayre," a phrase frequently met with.
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 “cherry fairs” mean?
The old counterpart of the modern tea-gardens; cherry-orchards where sales of fruit were held, such gatherings frequently developing into boisterous scenes. From their temporary character they came to be used as typifications of the evanescence of life; thus Gower says of this world, "Alle is but a cherye-fayre," a phrase frequently met with.
Is “cherry fairs” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.