Brewer's: Dryasdust

(Rev. Dr.). A heavy, plodding author, very prosy, very dull, and very learned; an antiquary. Sir Walter Scott employs the name to bring out the prefatory matter of some of his novels.

“The Prussian Dryasdust . . . excels all other `Dryasdusts' yet known.” —Carlyle.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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