the order of the day
Preserved but no longer current.
In the House of Com- mons the ordinary public business of each day is classified as consisting of notices of motions and orders of the day. A motion becomes an order of the day as soon as the debate on it has been adjourned by oider of the House to a particular day. See QUESTION.
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 order of the day” mean?
In the House of Com- mons the ordinary public business of each day is classified as consisting of notices of motions and orders of the day. A motion becomes an order of the day as soon as the debate on it has been adjourned by oider of the House to a particular day. See QUESTION.
Is “the order of the day” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.