English · Idiom Historical

Pop Goes the Weasel

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The title of this song is said to refer the habit of London hatters of "popping," or pawning, their "weasels," or accessories, on Saturday nights, to buy liquor.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “Pop Goes the Weasel” mean?

The title of this song is said to refer the habit of London hatters of "popping," or pawning, their "weasels," or accessories, on Saturday nights, to buy liquor.

Is “Pop Goes the Weasel” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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