flying stationer

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A paper-worker, hawker of penny ballads; "Printed for the Flying Stationers" is the imprimatur on hundreds of penny histories and sheet songs of the last and present centuries.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “flying stationer” mean?

A paper-worker, hawker of penny ballads; "Printed for the Flying Stationers" is the imprimatur on hundreds of penny histories and sheet songs of the last and present centuries.

Is “flying stationer” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.