to shut up shop
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To retire from business, withdraw from participation in the under- taking, etc.
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 shut up shop” mean?
To retire from business, withdraw from participation in the under- taking, etc.
Is “to shut up shop” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.