irish rats rhymed to death
Preserved but no longer current.
It was once a prevalent opinion that rats in pasturages could be extirpated by anathematizing them in rhyming verse or by metrical charms. This notion is frequently alluded to by ancient authors. Thus, Ben Jonson says : "Rhyme them to death, as they do Irish rats" (Poetaster)', Sir Philip Sidney says: "Though I will not wish unto you ...
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 “irish rats rhymed to death” mean?
It was once a prevalent opinion that rats in pasturages could be extirpated by anathematizing them in rhyming verse or by metrical charms. This notion is frequently alluded to by ancient authors. Thus, Ben Jonson says : "Rhyme them to death, as they do Irish rats" (Poetaster)', Sir Philip Sidney says: "Though I will not wish unto you ...
Is “irish rats rhymed to death” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.