A corruption of Swan Upping- that is, taking the swans up the
River Thames for the purpose of marking them. (See above.)
More on Swan-hopping from Infoplease:
- Swan-hopping - Swan-hopping A corruption of Swan Upping- that is, taking the swans up the River Thames for the ...
- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: S - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "S"
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