sheep's head
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A fool, a simpleton— Gostanzo: What, sirrah, is that all? No entertainment to the gentlewoman? Valeria: Forsooth y'are welcome by my father's leave.
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 “sheep's head” mean?
A fool, a simpleton— Gostanzo: What, sirrah, is that all? No entertainment to the gentlewoman? Valeria: Forsooth y'are welcome by my father's leave.
Is “sheep's head” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.