English · Idiom Historical

raise the wind

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To obtain credit, or money,—generally by pawning or selling property, but not unusually by borrowing. Sometimes varied to WHISTLE UP THE BREEZE.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Vay tiền hoặc tín dụng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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.

Topics: Wind & clouds Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “raise the wind” mean?

To obtain credit, or money,—generally by pawning or selling property, but not unusually by borrowing. Sometimes varied to WHISTLE UP THE BREEZE.

Is “raise the wind” formal or informal?

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