to tuck one up
Preserved but no longer current.
To finish him, do for him. The allusion is probably to tucking children up in bed for the night — they are finished with till next morning; but there may be some reference to the long narrow duellist's rapier formerly called a tuck (Fr. etoc, stock).
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 tuck one up” mean?
To finish him, do for him. The allusion is probably to tucking children up in bed for the night — they are finished with till next morning; but there may be some reference to the long narrow duellist's rapier formerly called a tuck (Fr. etoc, stock).
Is “to tuck one up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.