tied up
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Given over, finished; also married, in allusion to the hymeneal knot, unless a jocose allusion be intended to the "halter" (altar). See BUCKLED, term in use among costermongers and street folk generally.
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 “tied up” mean?
Given over, finished; also married, in allusion to the hymeneal knot, unless a jocose allusion be intended to the "halter" (altar). See BUCKLED, term in use among costermongers and street folk generally.
Is “tied up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.