Paddington Fair
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A public execution. Tyburn, where executions formerly took place, is in the parish of Paddington. Public executions were abolished in England in 1868.
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 “Paddington Fair” mean?
A public execution. Tyburn, where executions formerly took place, is in the parish of Paddington. Public executions were abolished in England in 1868.
Is “Paddington Fair” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.