midsummer men
Preserved but no longer current.
Orpine or Live-long, a plant of the Sedum tribe; so called because it used to be set in pots or shells on midsummer eve, and hung up in the house to tell damsels whether their sweethearts were true or not. If the leaves bent to the right, it was a sign of fidelity; if to the left, the "true-love's heart was cold and faithless.
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 “midsummer men” mean?
Orpine or Live-long, a plant of the Sedum tribe; so called because it used to be set in pots or shells on midsummer eve, and hung up in the house to tell damsels whether their sweethearts were true or not. If the leaves bent to the right, it was a sign of fidelity; if to the left, the "true-love's heart was cold and faithless.
Is “midsummer men” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.