Close-time for Game
Preserved but no longer current.
See SPORTING SEA- SONS. Cloth, The. This word was formerly applied to the customary garb of any trade, and is akin in usage to the word livery. About the 17th century it became restricted to the clergy; the clerical office; thus we say " having respect for the cloth.
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-time for Game” mean?
See SPORTING SEA- SONS. Cloth, The. This word was formerly applied to the customary garb of any trade, and is akin in usage to the word livery. About the 17th century it became restricted to the clergy; the clerical office; thus we say " having respect for the cloth.
Is “Close-time for Game” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.