Loch Ness Monster
Preserved but no longer current.
In April, 1933, a motorist driving along the shore of Loch Ness, Scot- land, saw at some distance from the land what seemed a strange object, subsequently des- cribed as being 30 ft. long, with two humps, a snake-like head at the end of a long neck, and two flippers about the middle of the body. It was "seen'* by others, and a brisk tourist trade began to centre around its movements.
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 “Loch Ness Monster” mean?
In April, 1933, a motorist driving along the shore of Loch Ness, Scot- land, saw at some distance from the land what seemed a strange object, subsequently des- cribed as being 30 ft. long, with two humps, a snake-like head at the end of a long neck, and two flippers about the middle of the body. It was "seen'* by others, and a brisk tourist trade began to centre around its movements.
Is “Loch Ness Monster” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.