Raree Show
Preserved but no longer current.
A peep-show; a show carried about in a box. In the 17th century, when this word appears in England, most of the travel- ling showmen were Savoyards, and this repre- sents their attempt at English pronunciation.
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 “Raree Show” mean?
A peep-show; a show carried about in a box. In the 17th century, when this word appears in England, most of the travel- ling showmen were Savoyards, and this repre- sents their attempt at English pronunciation.
Is “Raree Show” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.