to count noses
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A horse-dealer counts horses by the nose, as cattle are counted by the head\ hence, the expression is sometimes ironically used of numbering votes, as in the Division lobbies.
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 count noses” mean?
A horse-dealer counts horses by the nose, as cattle are counted by the head\ hence, the expression is sometimes ironically used of numbering votes, as in the Division lobbies.
Is “to count noses” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.