the queen's keys
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An old legal phrase for the crowbars, hammers, etc., used to force an entrance so that a warrant could be executed.
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 queen's keys” mean?
An old legal phrase for the crowbars, hammers, etc., used to force an entrance so that a warrant could be executed.
Is “the queen's keys” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.