Stump Up

Previous Page

Stump Up : Phrases

Meaning:

Pay for a purchase.


Example:







Origin:

This phrase derives from horse trading or other dealing where money was put onto a wooden post (stump) to display good faith in a cash deal. It is a variant of the expression 'cash on the nail'.

The Reverend William Carr published a glossary of the colloquial language of the Craven district of West Yorkshire in 1828, entitled The Dialect of Craven, in which he defined 'stump' as a verb:

"Stump, to pay ready money,... to pay down on the nail."

Phrases Index

From Stump Up to HOME PAGE

Follow These Links!