Kinless Loons
Preserved but no longer current.
The judges whom Cromwell sent into Scotland were so termed, because they had no relations in the country and so were free from temptation to nepotism. They tried the accused on the merits of the case.
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 “Kinless Loons” mean?
The judges whom Cromwell sent into Scotland were so termed, because they had no relations in the country and so were free from temptation to nepotism. They tried the accused on the merits of the case.
Is “Kinless Loons” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.