cleopatra and her pearl
Preserved but no longer current.
It is said that Cleopatra made a banquet for Antony, the costliness of which excited his astonishment; and, when Antony expressed his surprise, Cleo- patra took a pearl ear-drop, which she dissolved in a strong acid, and drank to the health of the Roman triumvir, saying, "My draught to Antony shall far exceed it.
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 “cleopatra and her pearl” mean?
It is said that Cleopatra made a banquet for Antony, the costliness of which excited his astonishment; and, when Antony expressed his surprise, Cleo- patra took a pearl ear-drop, which she dissolved in a strong acid, and drank to the health of the Roman triumvir, saying, "My draught to Antony shall far exceed it.
Is “cleopatra and her pearl” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.