queen's shilling

noun

1. king's shilling.

queen's shilling

noun

1. (until 1879) a shilling paid to new recruits to the British army
2. take the queen's shilling archaic.
   to enlist in the army

Word History and Origins

Origin of queen's shilling¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

He will not, however, be able to count on his 1891 Queen's shilling that he used as a ball marker when he won his first tournament nine years ago.

From Reuters

He was quietly turning an honest penny wrecking London's skyline when he took the Queen's shilling to rescue RBS.

From The Guardian

He put his solitary win at the Dutch Open eight years ago down to an 1891 'Queen's Shilling', a coin handed to soldiers before going to war.

From Reuters

He credited that victory to an 1891 "Queen's Shilling" that his father gave him to use as a ball marker after he lost his longtime Wedgwood China marker a week earlier.

From Seattle Times

When the recruit took the Queen’s shilling, he ceased to be a free citizen.

From Project Gutenberg