Scarborough Warning
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Blow first, warning after. In Scarborough robbers used to be dealt with in a very summary manner by a sort of Halifax gibbet-law, lynch-law, or an a la lanterne.
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 “Scarborough Warning” mean?
Blow first, warning after. In Scarborough robbers used to be dealt with in a very summary manner by a sort of Halifax gibbet-law, lynch-law, or an a la lanterne.
Is “Scarborough Warning” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.