Tumbledown Dick
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Anything that will not stand firmly. "Dick" is Richard Cromwell (1626- 1712), the Protector's son, who was but a tottering wall at best.
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 “Tumbledown Dick” mean?
Anything that will not stand firmly. "Dick" is Richard Cromwell (1626- 1712), the Protector's son, who was but a tottering wall at best.
Is “Tumbledown Dick” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.