skin the lamb

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Of a bookmaker: to win all of his bets, in the case where nobody backed the winner.

Register: archaic, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “skin the lamb” mean?

Of a bookmaker: to win all of his bets, in the case where nobody backed the winner.

Is “skin the lamb” formal or informal?

skin the lamb is generally archaic, slang.