Eggcorn Forum

“To pony up” is to pay what one owes. The “pony” verb has been used in this sense at least since the early 1800s. To me the idiom seems slightly thuggish. (“Slug turned to me and said ‘Pony up, pal, or da patrone will poisonally plunk ya in da pond wit pavestone pumps.’ I wiped the spit from my face with my left hand and reached for my gat with the right.”)

“Pony up” is rare enough in common English to send some minds racing for an alternative. “Penny up,” which conveys the an image of yielding up money, is one of the better alternatives. Examples:

Music news site: “However, if you want the good stuff, you’ll have to penny up.” (http://hip2besquare.net/tag/promotion/)

Comment on a housing discussion site: “We will see how weak lending standards have become when these borrowers have to penny up the payment.” (http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/top- … %80%A6not/)

Comment on a blog: “Then I’d also like Joss… to penny up for my business class plane trip to LA to attend also.” (http://whedonesque.com/comments/15453)

Comment on a Mac OS X discussion site: “But I realize that is a rather expensive program for the average mac user to have to penny up for.” (http://www.bradrice.com/wposx/archives/ … -x-general)

“Penny up” may be influenced by the poker idiom “ante up.”

This completes the eggcorns hinted at by wade’s quizzes (See post at http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=390 .). Thanks to wade for pointing out his web list of English slips.

Last edited by kem (2008-07-29 13:53:57)