gridiron and dough boys
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The flag of the United States, in allusion to the stars and stripes.—Sea.
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 “gridiron and dough boys” mean?
The flag of the United States, in allusion to the stars and stripes.—Sea.
Is “gridiron and dough boys” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.