up goes the donkey

phrase

The performance begins.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. obsoleteThe performance begins.

Origin

Said to have originated from a travelling showman whose finale involved the hoisting of a donkey on a pole or ladder.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

up goes the donkey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20goes%20the%20donkey

MLA

“up goes the donkey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20goes%20the%20donkey. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “up goes the donkey,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20goes%20the%20donkey.

Source: up goes the donkey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.