the gall of pigeons
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The story goes that Eigeons have no gall, because the dove sent -om the ark by Noah burst its gall out of grief, and none of the pigeon family has had a gall ever since.
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 gall of pigeons” mean?
The story goes that Eigeons have no gall, because the dove sent -om the ark by Noah burst its gall out of grief, and none of the pigeon family has had a gall ever since.
Is “the gall of pigeons” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.