Peter and St
Preserved but no longer current.
John the Baptist during the festivities then held; used also of the festivities themselves. Henry VIII approved of the pageants, etc., and on one occasion, to encourage them, took his queen, Katharine of Aragon, to witness the proceedings at "the King's Heade in Cheape." The custom fell into abeyance in 1 527 on account of the sweating sickness, but was revived a few years later.
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 “Peter and St” mean?
John the Baptist during the festivities then held; used also of the festivities themselves. Henry VIII approved of the pageants, etc., and on one occasion, to encourage them, took his queen, Katharine of Aragon, to witness the proceedings at "the King's Heade in Cheape." The custom fell into abeyance in 1 527 on account of the sweating sickness, but was revived a few years later.
Is “Peter and St” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.