the king of the herrings
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The Chimcera, or sea-ape, a cartilaginous fish which accompanies a shoal of herrings in their migrations.
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 king of the herrings” mean?
The Chimcera, or sea-ape, a cartilaginous fish which accompanies a shoal of herrings in their migrations.
Is “the king of the herrings” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.