the elements
Preserved but no longer current.
Atmospheric powers; the winds, storms, etc. Rumble they bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, ram! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: I tax not you, you elements, with unkmdness; I never gave you Kingdom, call'd you children, You owe me no subscription: then, let fall Your horrible pleasure.
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 elements” mean?
Atmospheric powers; the winds, storms, etc. Rumble they bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, ram! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: I tax not you, you elements, with unkmdness; I never gave you Kingdom, call'd you children, You owe me no subscription: then, let fall Your horrible pleasure.
Is “the elements” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.