to raise the wind
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To obtain ready money by hook or by crook.
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 raise the wind” mean?
To obtain ready money by hook or by crook.
Is “to raise the wind” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.