to deliver the goods
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Said of one who fulfills his promises or who comes up to expectations.
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 deliver the goods” mean?
Said of one who fulfills his promises or who comes up to expectations.
Is “to deliver the goods” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.