nose in the manger
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
TO PUT ONE’S, to sit down to eat. To "put on the nose-bag" is to eat hurriedly, or to eat while continuing at work.
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 “nose in the manger” mean?
TO PUT ONE’S, to sit down to eat. To "put on the nose-bag" is to eat hurriedly, or to eat while continuing at work.
Is “nose in the manger” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.