up the river
English
editEtymology
editA reference to Sing Sing prison, which is located on the Hudson river, to the north of (and upstream from) New York City.
Pronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (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.