Mercury fig
Preserved but no longer current.
See MERCURY. Fig" leaf. The leaf of the fig tree or the banyan, according to the Bible story (Gen. iii, 7) used by Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness after the Fall. In the days of Victorian prudery tin fig leaves were fitted to statuary in the museums, Crystal Palace, etc.
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 “Mercury fig” mean?
See MERCURY. Fig" leaf. The leaf of the fig tree or the banyan, according to the Bible story (Gen. iii, 7) used by Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness after the Fall. In the days of Victorian prudery tin fig leaves were fitted to statuary in the museums, Crystal Palace, etc.
Is “Mercury fig” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.