trade-last -
Preserved but no longer current.
A compliment offered in exchange for another. "I have a trade-last for you," means, "I have heard something flattering about you which I will tell you after you have told me a flattering remark you have heard about me." The phrase is common among juveniles and adolescents.
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 “trade-last -” mean?
A compliment offered in exchange for another. "I have a trade-last for you," means, "I have heard something flattering about you which I will tell you after you have told me a flattering remark you have heard about me." The phrase is common among juveniles and adolescents.
Is “trade-last -” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.