newgate fringe
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The hair worn under the chin, or between the chin and the neck. So called because it occupies the position of the rope when men are about to be hanged.
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 “newgate fringe” mean?
The hair worn under the chin, or between the chin and the neck. So called because it occupies the position of the rope when men are about to be hanged.
Is “newgate fringe” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.