Pop Goes The Weasel

Half a pound of tuppeney rice,
Half a pound of treacle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.

Up and down the City Road,
In and out the Eagle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
 

This rhyme was first published in the 1850s

It is thought to refer to the difficulties faced by workers living in the slum lands of London. 'Pop' is a slang word for pawn while weasel may refer to coat (weasel and stoat being cockney rhyming slang for coat). In order to feed themselves the people had to pawn their coat.

The second verse refers to the Eagle public house which could be found on the City Road in London. It warns of the dangers of spending too much money on alcohol.