to call cousins
Preserved but no longer current.
This formerly meant to claim relationship — He is half-brother to this Witword by a former wife, who was sister to my Lady Wishfort, my wife's mother; if you marry Millamant you must call cousins too. — CONGREVE: Way of the World, i, 5.
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 call cousins” mean?
This formerly meant to claim relationship — He is half-brother to this Witword by a former wife, who was sister to my Lady Wishfort, my wife's mother; if you marry Millamant you must call cousins too. — CONGREVE: Way of the World, i, 5.
Is “to call cousins” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.