Sackcloth and ashes
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
An outward display of deep remorse, penitence, mourning, or public self-reproach. Often humorous or exaggerated when applied to public apologies. Regional use: Biblical English; now widespread but often rhetorical.
Origin
Biblical mourners wore coarse sackcloth and used ashes as signs of grief or repentance. The Wycliffe tradition describes the actions in passages such as Esther 4:1, but the compact English pairing sackcloth and ashes is first securely recorded in Tyndale's 1526 New Testament. The material ritual and its English description are medieval; the exact fixed phrase is Tudor. Figurative use now often refers to a conspicuous apology rather than literal religious observance.
Research Sources
Variants
- Wear sackcloth and ashes
Usage Examples
- The director appeared in sackcloth and ashes after the figures were corrected.
- No one expects sackcloth and ashes, but a direct apology would help.
- The columnist's week of sackcloth and ashes ended with a careful retraction.