the thin red line
Preserved but no longer current.
British infantrymen in action. The old 93rd Highlanders were so described at the battle of Balaclava by W. H. Russell, because they did not take the trouble to form into square; their regimental magazine is named The Thin Red Line.
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 thin red line” mean?
British infantrymen in action. The old 93rd Highlanders were so described at the battle of Balaclava by W. H. Russell, because they did not take the trouble to form into square; their regimental magazine is named The Thin Red Line.
Is “the thin red line” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.