Green’s Dictionary of Slang

spout v.2

[‘The business of the pawnbrokers has so much increased in London of late years, that they find it necessary to have extensive ware-rooms at the top of the house; and in order to save the trouble of running up and down stairs, they have invented a spout of communication between the ware- rooms and the shop. So that, whenever an unfortunate takes his unmentionables, or any other article to pledge, the pawnbroker places them at the bottom of the spout, and “by some cantrip slight” or other, up the spout they go slap into the ware-rooms in an instant, where they remain until the day of redemption’ Wight Mornings in Bow Street (1824)]

to pawn.

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[UK]Lex. Balatronicum.
[Aus]Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 268: spout to pledge any property at a pawnbroker’s is termed spouting it, or shoving it up the spout.
[UK]J. Wight Mornings in Bow St. 11: [H]e went out one Monday evening and spouted his watch.
[UK]Westmorland Gaz. 23 Jan. 1/3: I slipped off my coat and waistcoat, and told this woman to go to the next pawnbroker and spout’ em for all she could get.
[UK]R.B. Peake Devil In London I ii: Cotton – eh? Never mind; it will spout for a quartern.
[UK]Thackeray Pendennis II 221: He couldn’t take away the picters [...] and he wouldn’t spout the fenders and fire-irons.
[Ind]Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Apr. 39/2: And if he hears I’ve spouted them [i.e. jewels], he'll dust my jacket well!
[US]‘Artemus Ward’ Among the Mormons in Complete Works (1922) 257: The Goddess of Liberty will be seen dodgin’ into a Pawn Broker’s shop with the other gown done up in a bundle, even if she don’t have to Spout the gold stars in her head-band.
[US]C.G. Leland ‘Breitsmann in Germany’ in Hans Breitmann in Europe 265: Mine tress-goat is shpouted, mine tress-goat aint hier, / Vhile you ill your ball-ropes go splurgin, mein tear!
[Aus]Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Apr. 4/2: Pawnbrokers had best make hay while the sun shines. David B. has been ‘spouting’ so long, and finds the ‘interest’ so absorbing [etc.].
[US]S.A. Mackeever Glimpses of Gotham and City Characters 38/2: Sometimes [New York costumers] fit out ‘snap’ theatrical organizations, but it is an awful risk. Many a Claude Melnotte or a Romeo has been forced to spout his dress in order to get home, and [...] the costumer is sore to bid farewell to [the] suit.
[UK]Sporting Times 8 Feb. 1/3: If he wanted a drink and had spouted every rag he had in the world, blowed if I don’t believe he’d try and pawn the coat of his stomach!
[UK]Sporting Times 2 June 1/3: At length he had come to the bottom of his pocket. In this dilemma he determined to spout his waistcoat, so up a side street ducked he and doffed it.
[Aus]Sun. Times (Perth) 14 Feb. 1/1: A few of his friends purloined the prop and ‘spouted’ it for snifters.
[UK]‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Cost Of Living’ Sporting Times 25 June 1/3: ‘Send me back my presents instantly!’ was ’Minta’s parting shot; / But, alas! ‘’tis true, ’tis pity,’ he had ‘spouted’ all the lot.

In compounds

spouting ken (n.)

a pawnbroker’s shop.

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[UK]Crim.-Con. Gaz. 30 Nov. 287/1: Uncle Joey, Pawnbroker of Flagan-row ( [...] flash man of the spouting ken).