Enfans Sans Souci
Preserved but no longer current.
The mediaeval French Tradesmen's company of actors, as opposed to the Lawyers', the "Basochians" (<?.v.). It was organized in the reign of Charles VIII, for the performance of short comedies, in which public characters and the manners of the day were turned into ridicule; Maitre Pa the/in (see MouxoNs), an immense favourite with the Parisians, was one of their pieces.
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 “Enfans Sans Souci” mean?
The mediaeval French Tradesmen's company of actors, as opposed to the Lawyers', the "Basochians" (<?.v.). It was organized in the reign of Charles VIII, for the performance of short comedies, in which public characters and the manners of the day were turned into ridicule; Maitre Pa the/in (see MouxoNs), an immense favourite with the Parisians, was one of their pieces.
Is “Enfans Sans Souci” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.