The R months
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
See under OYSTER. The three .R's. Reading, writing, and arith- metic. The phrase is said to have been origi- nated by Sir William Curtis (d. 1829), who gave this as a toast.
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 R months” mean?
See under OYSTER. The three .R's. Reading, writing, and arith- metic. The phrase is said to have been origi- nated by Sir William Curtis (d. 1829), who gave this as a toast.
Is “The R months” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.