up the river
English edit
Etymology edit
A reference to Sing Sing prison, which is located on the Hudson river, to the north of (and upstream from) New York City.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Prepositional phrase edit
- (US, idiomatic) To prison.
- 1990 July 21, “Pete Rose: He doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame”, in Dallas Morning News, retrieved 23 September 2010:
- The former baseball player that Cincinnati idolized is being sent up the river to Ashland, Ky., to serve a prison term for cheating on his taxes.
Usage notes edit
- Often preceded by the verb to send.