skin-the-lamb
Preserved but no longer current.
A game at cards, a very expressive corruption of the term "lansquenet," also a racing term. When a non-favourite wins a race, bookmakers are said to SKIN THE LAMB, under the supposition that they win all their bets, no person having backed the winner. This has been corrupted into SKINNER.
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 “skin-the-lamb” mean?
A game at cards, a very expressive corruption of the term "lansquenet," also a racing term. When a non-favourite wins a race, bookmakers are said to SKIN THE LAMB, under the supposition that they win all their bets, no person having backed the winner. This has been corrupted into SKINNER.
Is “skin-the-lamb” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.