dog cheap
Preserved but no longer current.
Or DOG-FOOLISH, very or singularly cheap, or foolish. Latham, in his English Language, says:—"This has nothing to do with dogs. The first syllable is god = good, transposed, and the second, the ch‑‑p, is chapman, merchant: compare EASTCHEAP."—Old term.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “dog cheap” mean?
Or DOG-FOOLISH, very or singularly cheap, or foolish. Latham, in his English Language, says:—"This has nothing to do with dogs. The first syllable is god = good, transposed, and the second, the ch‑‑p, is chapman, merchant: compare EASTCHEAP."—Old term.
Is “dog cheap” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.