men in buckram
Preserved but no longer current.
Hypothetical men exist- ing only in the brain of the imagines The allusion is to the vaunting tale of Falstaff to Prince Henry (Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV, ii, 4). Hence, "a buckram army," one the strength of which exists only in the imagina- tion.
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 “men in buckram” mean?
Hypothetical men exist- ing only in the brain of the imagines The allusion is to the vaunting tale of Falstaff to Prince Henry (Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV, ii, 4). Hence, "a buckram army," one the strength of which exists only in the imagina- tion.
Is “men in buckram” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.