English · Idiom Historical

to turn the scale

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Just to outweigh the other side. Thy presence turns the scale of doubtful fight, Tremendous God of battles, Lord of Hosts!

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “to turn the scale” mean?

Just to outweigh the other side. Thy presence turns the scale of doubtful fight, Tremendous God of battles, Lord of Hosts!

Is “to turn the scale” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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