Tom Tiddler's ground
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A place where it is easy to pick up a fortune or make a place in the world for oneself; from the old children's game in which a base-keeper, who is called
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 “Tom Tiddler's ground” mean?
A place where it is easy to pick up a fortune or make a place in the world for oneself; from the old children's game in which a base-keeper, who is called
Is “Tom Tiddler's ground” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.