hand and pocket shop
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “hand and pocket shop” mean?
An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Is “hand and pocket shop” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.