Caught with your hand in the till

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Meaning

Nabbed pilfering or stealing, caught cold.

Origin

From 19th-century Britain, tied to shops; 'till' for cash drawer, slang by 1860s in a Dickens note for nab. A 1870s 'Times' uses it for a clerk's dip.

Variants

  • Hand in till

Usage Examples

  • He was caught with his hand in the till-fired.
  • Caught with your hand in the till; no excuse.
  • Hand in the till; stealing cash.

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