nursery rhyme

[star1942]

in the nursery rhyme, what does "pop goes the weasel mean"

[jno]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/History/Questio n300776.html

[Bellringer]

In the City Road (London) there was a pub called The Eagle. That road was popular with tailors who pressed clothes with an iron which they called a weasel. Which they pawned it so they could go into the Eagle. Hence: "Up and down the City Road, in and out of the Eagle" which is part of the rhyme.

[Phil7]

I've not heard of a weasel being a tailor's iron - I've always thought it was "weasel and stoat" = "coat" i.e. pawn your (Sunday best) coat.

[Pudcat]

I think the Weasel was an iron but a some sort of Yarn measuring device .