do the high

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

To walk up and down High Street on Sunday evenings, especially just after Church.—Oxford University.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “do the high” mean?

To walk up and down High Street on Sunday evenings, especially just after Church.—Oxford University.

Is “do the high” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.