Humpty Dumpty
Preserved but no longer current.
A little deformed dwarf, "humpty" and "dumpty." There used to be a drink of this name, composed of ale boiled with brandy; and it is also applied — in allusion to the old nursery rhyme — to an egg, and to anything that is, or may be, irretrievably shattered.
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 “Humpty Dumpty” mean?
A little deformed dwarf, "humpty" and "dumpty." There used to be a drink of this name, composed of ale boiled with brandy; and it is also applied — in allusion to the old nursery rhyme — to an egg, and to anything that is, or may be, irretrievably shattered.
Is “Humpty Dumpty” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.