The Ram and Teazle
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A public-house sign, in compliment to the Clothiers' Company. The ram with the golden fleece is emblematical of wool, and the teazle is used for raising the nap of wool spun and woven into cloth.
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 Ram and Teazle” mean?
A public-house sign, in compliment to the Clothiers' Company. The ram with the golden fleece is emblematical of wool, and the teazle is used for raising the nap of wool spun and woven into cloth.
Is “The Ram and Teazle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.