the flag's down
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Indicative of distress When the face is pale the "flag is down." Alluding to the ancient custom of taking down the flag of theatres during Lent, when the theatres were closed.
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 flag's down” mean?
Indicative of distress When the face is pale the "flag is down." Alluding to the ancient custom of taking down the flag of theatres during Lent, when the theatres were closed.
Is “the flag's down” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.