mercurial finger
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The little finger, which, if pointed denotes eloquence, if square sound judgment.
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 “mercurial finger” mean?
The little finger, which, if pointed denotes eloquence, if square sound judgment.
Is “mercurial finger” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.