King of Misrule
Preserved but no longer current.
In mediaeval and Tudor times, the director of the Christmas-time horseplay and festivities, called also the Abbot, or Lord, of Misrule, and in Scotland the Master of Unreason. At Oxford and Cambridge one of the Masters of Arts superin- tended both the Christmas and Candlemas sports, for which he was allowed a fee of 40s. A similar "lord" was appointed by the lord mayor of London, the sheriffs, and the chief nobility.
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 “King of Misrule” mean?
In mediaeval and Tudor times, the director of the Christmas-time horseplay and festivities, called also the Abbot, or Lord, of Misrule, and in Scotland the Master of Unreason. At Oxford and Cambridge one of the Masters of Arts superin- tended both the Christmas and Candlemas sports, for which he was allowed a fee of 40s. A similar "lord" was appointed by the lord mayor of London, the sheriffs, and the chief nobility.
Is “King of Misrule” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.