The expression "Pony Up the Dough" in American English

[Aamir Tariq]

In the United States the informal expression "Pony up the dough" is used in two contexts.

(1st Context) (Where it is used by muggers, robbers, etc in undesirable situations)

Let's suppose you are out on the street going somewhere probably at mid-night and all of a sudden a mugger appears from nowhere and holds you at a gun point and says. "Pony up the dough" where it means "give me all the money/cash you have".

Similarly, if your responsibility is to receive cash payments from clients at a cash counter at your workplace and one day a gang of robbers breaks into the buildings and one of them says "Pony up the dough" to you, he means "put all the cash on the table". or give him all the cash out of the drawer.

(2nd context) (Where it is used by decent and educated people in formal settings)

Now the same expression is used by decent people in a more formal setting like at banks where you are going to deposit your money and the cashier at the cash counter asks you to "Pony up the dough", he wants you to pay him the money. Where "Pony up" means "to pay" and "the dough" means "cash".

Am I right in my definitions and the way I explained them?

Is the expression "Pony up the dough" is also understood by native speakers of English language in countries other than the United States and Canada?

If not, what is the equivalent of the same expression in countries like the UK, Australia and New Zealand?

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[probus]

Pony up is slang, and has connotations of unpleasantness. If you belong to an organization, a condominium for example, that unexpectedly requires you to make additional financial contributions, you have to pony up. If your stockbroker gives you a margin call, you have to pony up. And if the mob is extorting money from you, again you pony up. I would never expect to hear pony up in an ordinary business context such as your bank example.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

So my example in the 2nd context is wrong. Thanks for confirming it is used by Canadians just as I thought.

 

[Skrej]

I would never expect to hear it in the first context either. While it does have a negative connotation, it's not really forceful enough to indicate robbery or violent crime, etc. It has more of a connotation of a sudden, unexpected expense or payment, or something owed.

I might have to pony up when I lose a bet for example, but not when I'm being mugged.

 

[probus]

I would not be surprised if a mugger said pony up.

 

[emsr2d2]

He/she would be met with a baffled look by most Brits if he/she tried to mug us! I know the phrase from American films but it's not used here.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

I would never expect to hear it in the first context either. While it does have a negative connotation, it's not really forceful enough to indicate robbery or violent crime, etc. It has more of a connotation of a sudden, unexpected expense or payment, or something owed.

I might have to pony up when I lose a bet for example, but not when I'm being mugged.

You got it slightly wrong. What I meant in my question was for instant, God forbids, a person gets mugged, or a robbery happens at a bank or somewhere. And the mugger or criminal is asking you to "Pony up the dough". Which has been made clear in the next post. Anyway thanks each and everyone of you for contributing your valuable thoughts and help on my posts. I appreciate each and everyone of you a lot.

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[Aamir Tariq]

He/she would be met with a baffled look by most Brits if he/she tried to mug us! I know the phrase from American films but it's not used here.

What is not used in Britain, "to mug" or "to pony up/pony up the dough" or both?

I believe "Pony up the dough is not used in Australia as well since it is purely American.

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[GoesStation]

If I were being mugged, I'd be indignant at the mugging. If the mugger said "Pony up the dough", I might break out laughing, wondering if he'd been asleep for a few decades. It does not sound like contemporary American slang.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

If I were being mugged, I'd be indignant at the mugging. If the mugger said "Pony up the dough", I might break out laughing, wondering if he'd been asleep for a few decades. It does not sound like contemporary American slang.

GoesStation, I always love to receive your valuable opinions on my post, since you belong to the USA. I'm deeply in love with American English as well as the American accent.

Now, tell me what should be a contemporary American slang when somebody is getting mugged. How would the mugger say in typical American way to give him the money in the event of this street crime?

 

[emsr2d2]

I shouldn't think most muggers need to say much at all. Once he/she has pointed a knife or a gun at you, you're pretty likely to hand over your wallet and phone, and maybe even your keys, without waiting for him/her to utter any version of "Give me the money"!

 

[Aamir Tariq]

I shouldn't think most muggers need to say much at all. Once he/she has pointed a knife or a gun at you, you're pretty likely to hand over your wallet and phone, and maybe even your keys, without waiting for him/her to utter any version of "Give me the money"!

Lol, You are right. But since I am a big fan of American English. And there are plenty of dialects in the USA like Black American English, Southern American English. I am always curious about learning new things. Even when British and Australian people visit America, they find certain things interesting, new and surprising to them. So it's always fun to learn different versions of English.

 

[GoesStation]

GoesStation, I always love to receive your valuable opinions on my post, since you belong to the USA. I'm deeply in love with American English as well as the American accent.

Now, tell me what should be a contemporary American slang when somebody is getting mugged. How would the mugger say in typical American way to give him the money in the event of this street crime?

Although I live in the United States and am a United States citizen, I don't "belong" to the country.

I really have no idea what American muggers say to their victims. My only experience of this sort of street crime was in Paris, where the boy I caught with his hand in my pocket loudly and repeatedly proclaimed (in French, of course) "I'm not a thief!"

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I would not be surprised if a mugger said pony up.

I would. "Pony up" is about paying money that's owed or required. If it's being stolen from you, you're not ponying up. You're coughing up or forking over.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In the United States the informal expression "Pony up the dough" is used in two contexts.

(1st Context) (Where it is used by muggers, robbers, etc in undesirable situations)

Let's suppose you are out on the street going somewhere probably at mid-night and all of a sudden a mugger appears from nowhere and holds you at a gun point and says. "Pony up the dough" where it means "give me all the money/cash you have".

No. A mugger might say "cough it up" or fork it over." To pony up is to pay money that is owed, expected, or required:

- If you want a slice of this pizza, pony up your three dollars.
- I said I'd contribute to the collection. I guess it's time I ponied up.
- We've all put in our ten bucks but you! Come on! Pony up!

Similarly, if your responsibility is to receive cash payments from clients at a cash counter at your workplace and one day a gang of robbers breaks into the buildings and one of them says "Pony up the dough" to you, he means "put all the cash on the table". or give him all the cash out of the drawer.

Again, no. If you're being robbed, you don't owe the money, so you're not ponying up for anything.

(2nd context) (Where it is used by decent and educated people in formal settings)

Now the same expression is used by decent people in a more formal setting like at banks where you are going to deposit your money and the cashier at the cash counter asks you to "Pony up the dough", he wants you to pay him the money. Where "Pony up" means "to pay" and "the dough" means "cash".

"Pony up" does mean "pay," but your usage is wrong. Making a bank deposit is not ponying up. A bank teller would never tell you to pony up.

Am I right in my definitions and the way I explained them?

You're right that "dough" is old-fashioned slang for "money." The rest is wrong. See above.

Is the expression "Pony up the dough" is also understood by native speakers of English language in countries other than the United States and Canada?

I don't know. Other similar Americanisms include:

- pay up
- pay to play
- pay the piper
- put your money where your mouth is
- put some skin in the game

If not, what is the equivalent of the same expression in countries like the UK, Australia and New Zealand?

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

We need to clarify something.

"Pony up" is a very informal expression that is used among friends when it's time to fulfill a commitment to pay money.

It is not what you say when you rob someone, because the victim doesn't owe you the money.

 

[Tarheel]

I've been mugged a couple of times. I can't remember what was said, but I'm pretty sure they didn't say pony up.

 

[Tdol]

I would. "Pony up" is about paying money that's owed or required. If it's being stolen from you, you're not ponying up. You're coughing up or forking over.

I would use this in BrE, though only coughing up in the second.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

Although I live in the United States and am a United States citizen, I don't "belong" to the country.

I really have no idea what American muggers say to their victims. My only experience of this sort of street crime was in Paris, where the boy I caught with his hand in my pocket loudly and repeatedly proclaimed (in French, of course) "I'm not a thief!"

I've heard street crimes happen in New York more often. And I have watched some documentaries about those deadly gangs on Youtube as well. I didn't get how you don't belong to the country. Anyway, I like when you respond to my posts and I always wait for your thoughts on my posts after I post them.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

We need to clarify something.

"Pony up" is a very informal expression that is used among friends when it's time to fulfill a commitment to pay money.

It is not what you say when you rob someone, because the victim doesn't owe you the money.

Thank you so much for such a detailed and descriptive post that answered all the questions. And off course thanks for the additional phrases "cough it up" and "fork it over" I just got what I was looking for. This contribution from you is highly appreciable because we don't get such examples in any book anywhere but from an experienced language expert like you.

 

[GoesStation]

I've heard street crimes happen in New York more often. And I have watched some documentaries about those deadly gangs on Youtube as well. I didn't get how you don't belong to the country. Anyway, I like when you respond to my posts and I always wait for your thoughts on my posts after I post them.

New York City used to have a high rate of street crime. It fell dramatically in the nineties. I live in the country, where there's virtually no chance of being mugged, but I don't worry much when I'm in a big American city.

Gun violence is another matter. I'm pretty sure I heard a bullet whiz by my head one day when my neighbor was probably aiming at a chipmunk. I was not, as we say, a happy camper.