Ralph Winwood writes to Mr
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Secretary Cecil: I said, "What I spake was not to make him angry." He replied, "If I were angry, I might turn the buckle of my girdle behind me. "—Dec 17,1602.
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 “Ralph Winwood writes to Mr” mean?
Secretary Cecil: I said, "What I spake was not to make him angry." He replied, "If I were angry, I might turn the buckle of my girdle behind me. "—Dec 17,1602.
Is “Ralph Winwood writes to Mr” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.