King's Cross
Preserved but no longer current.
Up to the accession of George IV this London locality was called "Battle Bridge" and had an infamous notoriety. The name was changed in 1821, when the neigh- bourhood was being developed by speculating builders. A battle is said to have been fought on this site between King Alfred and the Danes, but it is mostly a matter of legend, no facts having yet been discovered to substantiate the story.
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's Cross” mean?
Up to the accession of George IV this London locality was called "Battle Bridge" and had an infamous notoriety. The name was changed in 1821, when the neigh- bourhood was being developed by speculating builders. A battle is said to have been fought on this site between King Alfred and the Danes, but it is mostly a matter of legend, no facts having yet been discovered to substantiate the story.
Is “King's Cross” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.