rhyming to death
Preserved but no longer current.
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 “rhyming to death” mean?
The Irish at one time believed that their children and cattle could be "eyebitten," that is, bewitched by an evil eye, and that the "eyebitter," or witch, could "rime" them to death. See RATS.
Is “rhyming to death” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.