The phrase pop goes the weasel was first recorded in print in an 1853 edition of the London Times to describe the children’s game. However, it is believed to have been used colloquially for some time before that. It appears that the words were added to an existing dance tune during the nineteenth century, but the exact origin is a matter of debate. One popular theory is that pop goes the weasel stems from Cockney rhyming slang, where “pop” meant “to pawn” or “barter away” and “weasel” referred to a type of coat. In the context of the song’s third verse, which mentions spending money on rice and treacle, the phrase could indicate someone pawning their coat due to financial hardship. Over time, this may have been misunderstood as referring to the animal weasel, leading to the other verses. Alternatively, the “weasel” in the song could have been a spinner’s tool that made popping sounds after a certain number of revolutions, also known as a “flat iron.” The plausibility of these interpretations is up to individual judgment.
