Close as a Kentish oyster
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Absolutely secret; hermetically sealed. Kentish oysters are pro- verbially good, and all good oysters are fast closed.
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 “Close as a Kentish oyster” mean?
Absolutely secret; hermetically sealed. Kentish oysters are pro- verbially good, and all good oysters are fast closed.
Is “Close as a Kentish oyster” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.