Where Does the Phrase “Without Rhyme or Reason” Come From and What Does It Mean?

The phrase “without rhyme or reason” means: lacking in sense or justification.

The French still say, ni rime ni raison; but we borrowed the saying from the French of the late Middle Ages, na Ryme ne Raison, as reported by W. W. Skeat some years ago in Notes & Queries.

English usage dates from the early sixteenth century.

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