Ruffian Hall
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That part of West Smithfield, later the horse-market, where in the 16th cen- cury "tryals of skill were plaid by ordinary ruffianly people with sword and buckler" (Blount, p.
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 “Ruffian Hall” mean?
That part of West Smithfield, later the horse-market, where in the 16th cen- cury "tryals of skill were plaid by ordinary ruffianly people with sword and buckler" (Blount, p.
Is “Ruffian Hall” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.