English · Idiom Historical

the flag of distress

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A flag hoisted at the masthead in reverse position to signal that trouble of some sort is on board.

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 flag of distress” mean?

A flag hoisted at the masthead in reverse position to signal that trouble of some sort is on board.

Is “the flag of distress” formal or informal?

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

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