flay the fox
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To vomit. Now replaced by the more popular "shoot the cat."
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 “flay the fox” mean?
To vomit. Now replaced by the more popular "shoot the cat."
Is “flay the fox” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.