up the spout

up the spout

slang Pregnant. You two have only been married for a couple of months, I can't believe you're up the spout already! I was pretty wild during my university years, which is how I found myself up the spout at 22.

See also: spout, up

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

up the spout

BRITISH, INFORMAL

1. If something is up the spout, it is completely ruined. The money's disappeared, so has he, and the whole scheme's up the spout. The economy's up the spout.

2. If a woman is up the spout, she is pregnant. Her daughter is up the spout again. Note: This is usually used when the pregnancy is a problem rather than a good thing. Note: Originally, this expression was used to refer to items which had been pawned (= given to someone in return for a loan of money). The `spout' was the lift in which an item was taken from the pawnbroker's shop to the storeroom above.

See also: spout, up

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

up the spout

1 no longer working or likely to be useful or successful. 2 (of a woman) pregnant. British informal

See also: spout, up

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

up the spout

Chiefly British Slang

1. Pawned.

2. In difficulty.

3. Pregnant.

See also: spout, up

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.