English · Idiom Historical

sank work

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Tailors’ phrase for soldiers’ clothes. Perhaps from the Norman SANC, blood,—in allusion either to the soldier’s calling, or the colour of his coat.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

quần áo của binh sĩ

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: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “sank work” mean?

Tailors’ phrase for soldiers’ clothes. Perhaps from the Norman SANC, blood,—in allusion either to the soldier’s calling, or the colour of his coat.

Is “sank work” formal or informal?

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

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