# Who is a 'John-a-Droynes'?

'John-a-Droynes' is a foolish character in Whetstone's 'Promos and Cassandra' (1578) who stands dazed while informers cheat him of his money. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), human-proofread transcription on English Wikisource records: “A foolish character in Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra (1578). Being seized by informers, he stands dazed, and suffers himself to be quietly cheated out of his money.”

## What it means

- Verbatim from Brewer's (1898): A foolish character in Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra (1578). Being seized by informers, he stands dazed, and suffers himself to be quietly cheated out of his money.

## Action steps

1. Modern usage: 'John-a-Droynes' is a foolish character in Whetstone's 'Promos and Cassandra' (1578) who stands dazed while informers cheat him of his money.
2. When quoting the origin, cite Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — this is a 19th-century record, not a modern etymology.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Wikisource proofread text](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Brewer%27s_Dictionary_of_Phrase_and_Fable/John-a-Droynes)

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