soft shoulders
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A warning sign on roads m the U.S.A., drawing driver's attention to the fact that the clay edges of the road outside the macadam are unsafe.
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 “soft shoulders” mean?
A warning sign on roads m the U.S.A., drawing driver's attention to the fact that the clay edges of the road outside the macadam are unsafe.
Is “soft shoulders” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.