Under the hammer

Origin of: Under the hammer

Under the hammer

To be under the hammer means that something is up for sale at public auction where, traditionally a hammer is struck to signify the end of bidding. As such, the expression dates from the mid-19th century. These days it is frequently misused to mean under pressure, probably because of confusion with to take a hammering. If this misuse becomes widespread, however, it could well pass into the language.