to hand in one's checks
Preserved but no longer current.
To die. An American phrase derived from poker and such games, where checks is American for counters. When one handed them in one had finished, was "cleaned out." Also, to pass in, or cash, one's checks.
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 hand in one's checks” mean?
To die. An American phrase derived from poker and such games, where checks is American for counters. When one handed them in one had finished, was "cleaned out." Also, to pass in, or cash, one's checks.
Is “to hand in one's checks” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.