Brewer's: Twelve

Each English archer carries twelve Scotchmen under his girdle. This was a common saying at one time, because the English were unerring archers, and each archer carried in his belt twelve arrows (SirWalterScott: Tales of a Grandfather, vii.).

“The Pope identifies himself with the `Master' and addresses those 700 prelates as the `Twelve.' ” —The Times, December 11, 1869.

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