Brewer's: Portobello Arms

A public-house sign. The Mirror says: “In 1739, after the capture of Portobello, Admiral Vernon's portrait dangled from every sign-post, and he may figuratively be said to have sold the ale, beer, porter, and purl of England for six years.” The Portobello Arms is a mere substitution for the admiral.

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