Who can tell but St

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Martin's running footman may still be hatching us some further mischief. — RABELAIS: Pantagruel, iv, 23.

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 “Who can tell but St” mean?

Martin's running footman may still be hatching us some further mischief. — RABELAIS: Pantagruel, iv, 23.

Is “Who can tell but St” formal or informal?

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