to be called to the bar
Preserved but no longer current.
To be admitted a barrister. Students having attained a certain status used to be called from the body of the hall within the bar, to take part in the proceed- ings of the court. To disbar means to expel a barrister from his profession.
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 “to be called to the bar” mean?
To be admitted a barrister. Students having attained a certain status used to be called from the body of the hall within the bar, to take part in the proceed- ings of the court. To disbar means to expel a barrister from his profession.
Is “to be called to the bar” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.