the long pull
Preserved but no longer current.
The extra quantity of beer sup- plied by a publican to his customer over and above the pint or half-pint ordered and paid for. Under the restrictions imposed during World War I this was abolished by order, as it is a form of "treating.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the long pull” mean?
The extra quantity of beer sup- plied by a publican to his customer over and above the pint or half-pint ordered and paid for. Under the restrictions imposed during World War I this was abolished by order, as it is a form of "treating.
Is “the long pull” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.