forty stripes save one
Preserved but no longer current.
The Jews were for- bidden by the Mosaic law to inflict more than forty stnpes on an offender, and for fear of breaking the law they stopped short of the number. If the scourge contained three lashes, thirteen strokes would equal "forty save one.
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 “forty stripes save one” mean?
The Jews were for- bidden by the Mosaic law to inflict more than forty stnpes on an offender, and for fear of breaking the law they stopped short of the number. If the scourge contained three lashes, thirteen strokes would equal "forty save one.
Is “forty stripes save one” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.