my uncle
Preserved but no longer current.
The pawnbroker,—generally used when any person questions the whereabouts of a domestic article. "Oh! only at MY UNCLE’S" is the reply. "Up the spout" has the same meaning. It is worthy of remark that the French call this useful relative "ma tante," my aunt.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Examples
Tatoeba sentence #266625 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
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 “my uncle” mean?
The pawnbroker,—generally used when any person questions the whereabouts of a domestic article. "Oh! only at MY UNCLE’S" is the reply. "Up the spout" has the same meaning. It is worthy of remark that the French call this useful relative "ma tante," my aunt.
Is “my uncle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.