pencil fever

noun

The situation where punters discover that a horse is almost certain to lose, and so become eager to lay bets against it.

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Meanings

nounpencil fever (uncountable)
  1. obsoleteslanguncountablehobbiesThe situation where punters discover that a horse is almost certain to lose, and so become eager to lay bets against it.

Origin

Compare penciler (“a bookmaker”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pencil fever. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20fever

MLA

“pencil fever.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20fever. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pencil fever,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20fever.

Source: pencil fever on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.