Downright Dunstable
Preserved but no longer current.
Very blunt, plain speaking, straightforward; like the Dunstable road (a part of the Roman Watirag Street), which runs very evenly from London and lias many long, straight stretches. Hence also the phrase Plain as the road to Dunstable. As Shakespeare says, "Plain as way to parish church.
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 “Downright Dunstable” mean?
Very blunt, plain speaking, straightforward; like the Dunstable road (a part of the Roman Watirag Street), which runs very evenly from London and lias many long, straight stretches. Hence also the phrase Plain as the road to Dunstable. As Shakespeare says, "Plain as way to parish church.
Is “Downright Dunstable” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.