Soapy Sam
Preserved but no longer current.
Samuel Wilberforce (1805- 1873), Bishop of Oxford, and afterwards of Winchester; so called because of his persua- sive and unctuous way of speaking. It is somewhat remarkable that the floral decora- tions above the stall of the bishop and of the principal of Cuddesdon, were S. O. A. P., the initials of Sam Oxon and Alfred Port.
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 “Soapy Sam” mean?
Samuel Wilberforce (1805- 1873), Bishop of Oxford, and afterwards of Winchester; so called because of his persua- sive and unctuous way of speaking. It is somewhat remarkable that the floral decora- tions above the stall of the bishop and of the principal of Cuddesdon, were S. O. A. P., the initials of Sam Oxon and Alfred Port.
Is “Soapy Sam” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.