English · Idiom Historical

midsummer ale

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Festivities which used to take place in rural districts at this season. Here Ale has the same extended meaning as in "Church-ale'* (q.v.).

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “midsummer ale” mean?

Festivities which used to take place in rural districts at this season. Here Ale has the same extended meaning as in "Church-ale'* (q.v.).

Is “midsummer ale” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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