The white edging of St
Preserved but no longer current.
George's cross shows the white field. In the saltire the cross is reversed on each side, showing that the other half of the cross is covered over. The broad white band is the St. Andrew's cross and should be uppermost at the top left-hand corner of the flag. The narrow white edge is the white field of St. Patrick's cross.
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 white edging of St” mean?
George's cross shows the white field. In the saltire the cross is reversed on each side, showing that the other half of the cross is covered over. The broad white band is the St. Andrew's cross and should be uppermost at the top left-hand corner of the flag. The narrow white edge is the white field of St. Patrick's cross.
Is “The white edging of St” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.