# have one's hand in the till

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/have-ones-hand-in-the-till
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To embezzle, to steal from one's place of business.

## Examples

- The manager fired the clerk for having his hand in the till.
- The audit revealed that the accountant had his hand in the till for several months, stealing thousands of dollars.
- The company’s reputation collapsed once the public discovered that the trusted treasurer had his hand in the till, siphoning off funds meant for charity.

## Origin

Derived from the act of a shop assistant removing cash from a business register. The phrase preserves the earlier use of till as the compartment or drawer where money is kept.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.