English · Idiom Historical

the eleventh commandment

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

An ironical expression, signifying "Thou shalt not be found out.

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “the eleventh commandment” mean?

An ironical expression, signifying "Thou shalt not be found out.

Is “the eleventh commandment” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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