swag-shop
Preserved but no longer current.
A warehouse where "Brummagem" and general wares, fancy trinkets, plated goods, &c., are sold. Jews are the general proprietors; and the goods are very low-priced, trashy, and showy. SWAG-SHOPS were formerly plunder depôts.—Old Cant.
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 “swag-shop” mean?
A warehouse where "Brummagem" and general wares, fancy trinkets, plated goods, &c., are sold. Jews are the general proprietors; and the goods are very low-priced, trashy, and showy. SWAG-SHOPS were formerly plunder depôts.—Old Cant.
Is “swag-shop” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.