# knight of the post

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/knight-of-the-post
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A known perjurer; a professional false witness.

## Examples

- Do not trust him, he is a known knight of the post.
- A knight of the post accepts money to tell lies in court.
- The lawyer refused to call the man to the stand because he was a notorious knight of the post.
- The corrupt businessman hired a knight of the post to lie about the contract during the police investigation.
- You should check his history because he acts like a knight of the post who changes his story for profit.
- The judge dismissed the testimony immediately, recognizing the witness as a common knight of the post who sold his lies to the highest bidder.

## Origin

The term arises from the suggestion that such a person would possess an intimate and recurring familiarity with the whipping-post or the pillory. These were the standard locations for the public administration of corporal punishment, and a knight of the post was one whose frequent appearances at these landmarks made the association unavoidable. It is a title conferred not by a monarch, but by the steady application of the law to one’s back.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.