Meanings
- informalThe Bank of England.
1 more example
"[…] Suppose we duplicate actual numbers that are out in circulation, and perhaps hold over the originals? We can triplicate, quadruple, multiply by a hundred times if it suits our purpose." "Well, by hokey that's an idea," admitted simple George Larch. "Why, they'd have to pay out on all that come in then or risk repudiating their own paper. It's lucky for the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street that we aren't in the wholesale business."
1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London
Origin
From the bank's age and its location on Threadneedle Street.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Old Lady of Threadneedle Street. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Lady%20of%20Threadneedle%20Street
“Old Lady of Threadneedle Street.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Lady%20of%20Threadneedle%20Street. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old Lady of Threadneedle Street,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Lady%20of%20Threadneedle%20Street.
Source: Old Lady of Threadneedle Street on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.