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come upon the town. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
come upon the town, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
come upon the town in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
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Pronunciation
Phrase
come upon the town
- (UK, obsolete, euphemistic) To become a prostitute; to turn to prostitution.
1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter VIII, in Pride and Prejudice: , volume III, London: for T Egerton, , →OCLC, page 144:To be sure, it would have been more for the advantage of conversation had Miss Lydia Bennet come upon the town; or, as the happiest alternative, been secluded from the world, in some distant farm house.
- (US) To receive public charity; to have one's living supported by public funding.
- Synonym: come upon the parish
1879, Historical Celebration of the Town of Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass, Clark W. Bryan Company, page 65:While Brimfield people have never been very rich, they have been prudent and thrifty, and there have been very few so poor as to come upon the town for support.
1912, Ada Harriet Kepley, A Farm Philosopher, Worman's Printery, page 149:The daughter had children and they all three came upon the town for support, for they would not work.
- (US) To make one's debut in town society; to become (known as) a man or woman about town.
References
- ^ 2014, V. Jones (editor), Pride and Prejudice, →ISBN, page 398.
- ^ 1877, John Russell Bartlett, Dictionary of Americanisms, 4th Edition, page 135.
- ^ 1895, William Dwight Whitney (editor-in-chief), The Century Dictionary, Volume II, page 1121.