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sell someone a pup

(UK) To sell something of little worth, pretending that it is something else of greater value.

ˈsɛl ˈsʌmˌwʌn ə ˈpʌp62 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK) To sell something of little worth, pretending that it is something else of greater value.

Origin: From an old swindle, where one would be sold a bag purportedly containing a piglet, but actually containing a puppy. Compare pig in a poke. 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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