The Clink Was a Real Prison in London
A clink is the light sound of glass or metal touching. In British slang the clink is also prison, named after an actual jail in Southwark.
A clink is the small sharp sound of glasses or coins touching. The slang sense — *in the clink*, meaning in prison — is not a metaphor about chains. The Clink was a real jail on Clink Street in Southwark, in use from the twelfth century until it burned in 1780, and its name became the general word. It is one of the few English slang terms that can be traced to a single building.
- A light metallic sound. *The clink of glasses.*
- To make that sound. *Coins clinked.*
- Prison (British slang). *A year in the clink.*
- Clank — the heavier cousin. *Chains clanked.*
- Clinker — a hard furnace residue. *Clinker from the kiln.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | clink | A soft clink. |
| Verb | clink | Clink glasses. |
| Past | clinked | They clinked. |
| Slang | the clink | In the clink. |
| Related | clank | A dull clank. |
- They clinked glasses and drank.Sound.
- He spent six months in the clink.Slang.
- The Clink stood on Clink Street until 1780.History.
Prison words and where they come from
- The clink — an actual Southwark prison
- Nick — British slang, also a police station
- Slammer — from the sound of the door
- Pokey — American, from a word for a small enclosure
- Gaol and jail — two spellings of one word, both still used
Imitative in origin, recorded from the 1300s. The prison sense comes from the name of the Clink in Southwark, first recorded in the 1500s.
Why is prison called the clink?
After the Clink, a real jail on Clink Street in Southwark, London, which operated until it was burned down in 1780.
What is the difference between clink and clank?
A clink is small and light, like glasses touching. A clank is heavy and dull, like chains.