pony up

English

Etymology

Originally often poney. US early 19th century. According to Michael Quinion, probably not from the monetary sense of pony and instead from Latin "Legem pone mihi Domine viam iustificationum tuarum" (“Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes”) in reference to March 25th, a traditional day of debt settlement. This etymology has been accepted by the American Heritage Dictionary.

Pronunciation

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Verb

pony up (third-person singular simple present ponies up, present participle ponying up, simple past and past participle ponied up)

1. (intransitive, transitive, slang) To pay (usually a bill, debt or due).
   • 1824 September, “Paunch Hogabout”, in The Atlantic Magazine, volume 1, number 5, page 343:

     Every man, save Silvy, vociferously swore that he had ponied up his "quarter:" whereupon the landlady observed that Silvy the less had not paid his reckoning.

   • 1944 February 7, War Advertising Council, “Advert”, in Life, volume 16, number 6, page 123:

     Know what I'd do with that dough ... if I'd the luck to have it?¶ I'd buy War Bonds—and, God, would I hang onto them! (Bonds buy guns—and give you four bucks for your three) ... I'd pony up for taxes cheerfully (knowing they're the cheapest way to pay for this war) ... I'd sock some in the savings bank, while I could ... I'd lift a load off my mind with more life insurance.

   • 1992 July/August, “Naked City”, in Spy, page 18:

     If entertaining TV blusterer John McLaughlin felt any contrition after ponying up a six-figure sum to settle a sexual-harassment suit in 1989, he is evidently over it.

   • 2009 January 25, Frank Rich, “No Time for Poetry”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     Only then did we learn that he doled out billions in secret, last-minute bonuses to his staff last month, just before Bank of America took over and just before the government ponied up a second bailout to cover Merrill’s unexpected $15 billion fourth-quarter loss.

   • 2012 March 30, Joe Levy, “Rockers at Sea”, in The New York Times‎^[3]:

     Fans willing to pony up somewhere between $900 and $1,400 — not including airfare or bar tab — can rub shoulders with their favorite acts and enjoy three to five days of food, music, Caribbean sunshine and extras like a photo with the band (no autographs, please).

Synonyms

• (to pay): cough up, foot the bill, fork out, fork over, pay up, shell out, stump up