up the spout
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
At the pawnbroker's. In allusion to the "spout" up which brokers send the articles ticketed. When redeemed they return down the spout — i.e. from the storeroom to the shop.
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 “up the spout” mean?
At the pawnbroker's. In allusion to the "spout" up which brokers send the articles ticketed. When redeemed they return down the spout — i.e. from the storeroom to the shop.
Is “up the spout” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.