The Diamond Sodls
Preserved but no longer current.
An annual race for amateur single-scullers taking place at the Henley Royal Regatta, and first rowed in 1844. The prize is a pair of crossed silver sculls not quite a foot in length, surmounted by an imi- tation wreath of laurel, and having a pendant of diamonds. It passes from winner to winner; but each winner receives a silver cup as a souvenir.
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 Diamond Sodls” mean?
An annual race for amateur single-scullers taking place at the Henley Royal Regatta, and first rowed in 1844. The prize is a pair of crossed silver sculls not quite a foot in length, surmounted by an imi- tation wreath of laurel, and having a pendant of diamonds. It passes from winner to winner; but each winner receives a silver cup as a souvenir.
Is “The Diamond Sodls” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.