Meanings
present singular third person takes a ride to Tyburn · participle present taking a ride to Tyburn · past took a ride to Tyburn · participle past taken a ride to Tyburn
- archaicidiomaticTo be executed.
He took a ride to Tyburn for stealing that purse.
Synonyms: dance the Tyburn jig, dance on a rope, dance on nothing, dance the hempen jig, dance the Tyburn jig, dance upon nothing, dangle, hang
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo be executed.
Origin
The phrase originated from Tyburn, an ancient village outside London, where from at least 1330 to the 18th century public executions took place. Prisoners would typically be led from the city of London in an open cart to the infamous "Tyburn Tree", a triple gallows, under which a noose would be placed around their neck and the cart, in which they had been transported to the site, would be driven away, causing them to strangle to death.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
take a ride to Tyburn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20ride%20to%20Tyburn
“take a ride to Tyburn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20ride%20to%20Tyburn. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a ride to Tyburn,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20ride%20to%20Tyburn.
Source: take a ride to Tyburn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.