saw your timber
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
"be off!" equivalent to "cut your stick." Occasionally varied, with mock refinement, to "amputate your mahogany." See CUT.
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 “saw your timber” mean?
"be off!" equivalent to "cut your stick." Occasionally varied, with mock refinement, to "amputate your mahogany." See CUT.
Is “saw your timber” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.