Rock Bay
Preserved but no longer current.
The day after Twelfth-day, when, the Christmas holidays being over, women re- turned to their distaff, an old name for which was rock; the day is also called "St. Distaff's Day/' Cp. PLOUGH MONDAY.
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 “Rock Bay” mean?
The day after Twelfth-day, when, the Christmas holidays being over, women re- turned to their distaff, an old name for which was rock; the day is also called "St. Distaff's Day/' Cp. PLOUGH MONDAY.
Is “Rock Bay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.