The Happy Valley
Preserved but no longer current.
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 Happy Valley” mean?
The home of the Prince of Abyssinia in Johnson's tale of Rasselas (1759). It was a Garden of Peace, completely isolated from the world, and replete with every luxury; but life there was so monotonous that the philosopher Imlac and the Prince Rasse- las were glad to escape.
Is “The Happy Valley” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.