statute cap
Preserved but no longer current.
A woollen cap ordered by a statute of Queen Elizabeth in 1571 to be worn on holidays by all citizens for the benefit of the woollen trade. To a similar end, persons were at one time obliged to be buried in woollens.
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 “statute cap” mean?
A woollen cap ordered by a statute of Queen Elizabeth in 1571 to be worn on holidays by all citizens for the benefit of the woollen trade. To a similar end, persons were at one time obliged to be buried in woollens.
Is “statute cap” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.