House of Commons
Preserved but no longer current.
It is an interruption to the order of the day by asking a Minisier some question of importance the subject of which would come under his department. From Lat. interpellare, to interrupt by speaking, literacy, to drive between.
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 “House of Commons” mean?
It is an interruption to the order of the day by asking a Minisier some question of importance the subject of which would come under his department. From Lat. interpellare, to interrupt by speaking, literacy, to drive between.
Is “House of Commons” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.