heigh-ho!
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A cant term for stolen yarn, from the expression used to apprize the dishonest shopkeeper that the speaker had stolen yarn to sell.—Norwich Cant.
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.
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Common questions
What does “heigh-ho!” mean?
A cant term for stolen yarn, from the expression used to apprize the dishonest shopkeeper that the speaker had stolen yarn to sell.—Norwich Cant.
Is “heigh-ho!” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
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