reach me downs
Preserved but no longer current.
Or HAND ME DOWNS, clothes bought at secondhand shops. From "REACH ME DOWN that, and let’s see if it fits." In Houndsditch and other celebrated old clothes’ marts, the goods are kept hanging on pegs so as to be well within view of intending buyers.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “reach me downs” mean?
Or HAND ME DOWNS, clothes bought at secondhand shops. From "REACH ME DOWN that, and let’s see if it fits." In Houndsditch and other celebrated old clothes’ marts, the goods are kept hanging on pegs so as to be well within view of intending buyers.
Is “reach me downs” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.