to be hammered
Preserved but no longer current.
A Stock Exchange term, used of one who is in the "House" officially declared a defaulter. This is done by the "Head Waiter," who goes into the rostrum and, be- fore making the announcement, attracts the attention of the members present by striking the desk with a hammer.
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 “to be hammered” mean?
A Stock Exchange term, used of one who is in the "House" officially declared a defaulter. This is done by the "Head Waiter," who goes into the rostrum and, be- fore making the announcement, attracts the attention of the members present by striking the desk with a hammer.
Is “to be hammered” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.