early doors
(Cockney rhyming slang) Women's drawers.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(Cockney rhyming slang) Women's drawers.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(Northern England) Early, near the start or beginning.
The party was very dull, so I made an early doors exit.
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK
(Northern England, Scotland) Early; at a time before expected; sooner than usual.
Mudchester Rovers conceded two goals early doors and never got back into the game.
Origin: According to some, the phrase originated at a time when English pubs closed in the afternoon as a term for customers who were waiting or arrived soon after the pub re-opened in the evening. Alternatively, the phrase is said to originate in the theatre world, where it described a facility available to early-arriving members of the audience, who were allowed to avoid the crush and choose the best seats in return for paying a small premium. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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Other words near "early doors" (E)
EarleEarleneearl marshalEarl of Corkearly closingearly crowearly life checkearly markearmarkearnerearnest moneyearn one's crust
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