The Dismal Science
Preserved but no longer current.
Economics; a name given to it by Carlyle : — The social science — not a "gay science," but a rueful — which finds the secret of this Universe in "supply and demand" . . . what we might call, by way of eminence, the dismal science. — CARLYLE : On the Nigger Question (1849).
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 Dismal Science” mean?
Economics; a name given to it by Carlyle : — The social science — not a "gay science," but a rueful — which finds the secret of this Universe in "supply and demand" . . . what we might call, by way of eminence, the dismal science. — CARLYLE : On the Nigger Question (1849).
Is “The Dismal Science” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.