nobbing
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Collecting money; "what NOBBINGS?" i.e., how much have you got or collected from the crowd? This term is much used by "buskers."
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 “nobbing” mean?
Collecting money; "what NOBBINGS?" i.e., how much have you got or collected from the crowd? This term is much used by "buskers."
Is “nobbing” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.