English · Idiom Historical

Hercules in his lion's skin

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

It is easy to see how Swift has availed himself of this Grecian legend in his Gulliver's Travels.

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.

Topics: Bones & skin Big cats Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “Hercules in his lion's skin” mean?

It is easy to see how Swift has availed himself of this Grecian legend in his Gulliver's Travels.

Is “Hercules in his lion's skin” formal or informal?

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

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time