twopenny-hops
Preserved but no longer current.
Low dancing rooms, the price of admission to which was formerly twopence. The clog hornpipe, the pipe dance, flash jigs, and hornpipes in fetters, à la Jack Sheppard, were the favourite movements, all entered into with great spirit.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “twopenny-hops” mean?
Low dancing rooms, the price of admission to which was formerly twopence. The clog hornpipe, the pipe dance, flash jigs, and hornpipes in fetters, à la Jack Sheppard, were the favourite movements, all entered into with great spirit.
Is “twopenny-hops” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.