Dog-whipping Day
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
October 18th (St. Luke's Day). It is said that a dog once swallowed the consecrated wafer in York Minster on this day.
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 “Dog-whipping Day” mean?
October 18th (St. Luke's Day). It is said that a dog once swallowed the consecrated wafer in York Minster on this day.
Is “Dog-whipping Day” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.