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Sexton Blake

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Sexton Blake'?

Fake.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Sexton Blake'?

This is Cockney rhyming slang – the rhyme being with ‘fake’. Londoners might refer to something of dubious origins as a sexton.

Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who first appeared in the The Missing Millionaire, written by Harry Blyth (a.k.a. Hal Meredeth), in The Halfpenny Marvel #6, December 1893. The character has since appeared in thousands of stories, by many different authors.

The history of “Sexton Blake” in printed materials

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Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Sexton Blake

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