leaving shop
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Or DOLLY SHOP, an unlicensed house where goods are taken into pawn at exorbitant rates of interest.
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 “leaving shop” mean?
Or DOLLY SHOP, an unlicensed house where goods are taken into pawn at exorbitant rates of interest.
Is “leaving shop” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.