up goes the donkey

== English == === Etymology === Said to have originated from a travelling showman whose finale involved the hoisting of a donkey on a pole or ladder. === Phrase === up goes the donkey (obsolete) The performance begins. ==== Usage notes ==== Used in conjunction with a required amount, to encourage the public to pay more money before the start of a show: e.g. "Twopence more, and up goes the donkey!" ==== References ==== 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary (under donkey)