one of His Majesty's bad bargains

noun

An incapable (sick, etc.) or incompetent soldier.

Similar
Queen's hard bargain
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Meanings

nounone of His Majesty's bad bargains (plural not attested)
  1. archaicidiomaticno pluralrareAn incapable (sick, etc.) or incompetent soldier.

    Synonyms: Queen's hard bargain

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn incapable (sick, etc.) or incompetent soldier.

Similar
Queen's hard bargain
Also see
malingererqueen's hard bargain

Origin

Suggesting that the soldier is not worth the pay he receives (the King's shilling).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

one of His Majesty's bad bargains. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20of%20His%20Majesty's%20bad%20bargains

MLA

“one of His Majesty's bad bargains.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20of%20His%20Majesty's%20bad%20bargains. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “one of His Majesty's bad bargains,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20of%20His%20Majesty's%20bad%20bargains.

Source: one of His Majesty's bad bargains on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.