Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

down the banks

/daʊn d̪ə bæŋks/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.66 in modern English

Syllables
down the banks
IPA
/daʊn d̪ə bæŋks/
25
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
1
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A severe criticism, scolding, reprimand, or punishment.

Dated; Slang; Uncountable

prep_phrase

In prison.

Obsolete; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

Unknown. Probably of Irish origin. five conjectural etymologies * Notes & Queries, 3rd series, volume 1 (8 March 1862), page 189 posits a connection with "down the khud", supposedly used of a person falling down a precipice in the Himalayas. * Cassell's Dictionary of Slang (1998) suggests falling off the raised bank of a bog into muddy water. * Bernard Share (Slanguage, 1997) suggests a link to "The Banks of my own Lovely Lee", a Cork anthem nicknamed "De Banks". See also: * Laurence Urdang, Walter W. Hunsinger, Nancy LaRoche, Picturesque expressions: a thematic dictionary (1985, →ISBN), page 571 * The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2006, →ISBN), volume 1 A–I, page 646

Usage

Inflected Forms

down-the-banks (alternative)

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce down the banks?
The recorded pronunciation is /daʊn d̪ə bæŋks/.
What does down the banks mean?
A severe criticism, scolding, reprimand, or punishment.
Where does down the banks come from?
Unknown. Probably of Irish origin. five conjectural etymologies * Notes & Queries, 3rd series, volume 1 (8 March 1862), page 189 posits a connection with "down the khud", supposedly used of a person falling down a precipice in the Himalayas. * Cassell's Dictionary of Slang (1998) suggests falling off the raised bank of a bog into muddy water. * Bernard Share (Slanguage, 1997) suggests a link to "The Banks of my own Lovely Lee", a Cork anthem nicknamed "De Banks". See also: * Laurence Urdang, Walter W. Hunsinger, Nancy LaRoche, Picturesque expressions: a thematic dictionary (1985, →ISBN), page 571 * The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2006, →ISBN), volume 1 A–I, page 646

How to pronounce down the banks

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “down the banks”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/daʊn d̪ə bæŋks/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “down the banks”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “down the banks” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.