Sliding Scale
Preserved but no longer current.
A scale of duties, prices, pay- ment, etc., which slides up and down as the article to which it refers becomes dearer or cheaper, or by which such payments accom- modate themselves to the fluctuations in other conditions previously named.
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 “Sliding Scale” mean?
A scale of duties, prices, pay- ment, etc., which slides up and down as the article to which it refers becomes dearer or cheaper, or by which such payments accom- modate themselves to the fluctuations in other conditions previously named.
Is “Sliding Scale” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.