Cock Lane Ghost
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A tale of terror without truth , an imaginary tale of horrors. In Cock Lane, Smithfield (1762), certain knockings were heard, which Mr.
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 “Cock Lane Ghost” mean?
A tale of terror without truth , an imaginary tale of horrors. In Cock Lane, Smithfield (1762), certain knockings were heard, which Mr.
Is “Cock Lane Ghost” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.