The Boafs Head
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The cognizance of the Gordons, etc. The Bolt~in-Titn. The punning heraldic badge of Prior Bolton, last of the clerical rulers of St. Bartholomew's, previous to the Reformation.
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 “The Boafs Head” mean?
The cognizance of the Gordons, etc. The Bolt~in-Titn. The punning heraldic badge of Prior Bolton, last of the clerical rulers of St. Bartholomew's, previous to the Reformation.
Is “The Boafs Head” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.