he has a green bonnet
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Has failed in trade. In France it used to be customary, even in the 17th century, for bankrupts to wear a green bonnet (cloth cap).
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 “he has a green bonnet” mean?
Has failed in trade. In France it used to be customary, even in the 17th century, for bankrupts to wear a green bonnet (cloth cap).
Is “he has a green bonnet” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.