The phrase “being taken to the cleaners” has long been used in the English language to let folks know just when they’ve been ripped off. Perhaps one of our more colorful idioms, the saying has been around for decades. But where does it come from? Who decided that going to the cleaners was so shady it should imply that you’re being taken advantage of?
According to etymologists, the phrase is a variation on “being cleaned out” – as in stripped of one’s possessions. When a person was robbed, it was said they were “cleaned” of their items. Therefore, being taken to the cleaners meant one was recently cleaned. This usage dates back to at least the early 1900s, when “the cleaners” saying began showing up regularly in hardboiled crime – or noir – fiction.
Through popular usage, the phrase caught on and maybe even created a negative image for “the cleaners.” But rest assured, the double meaning is a work of fiction and the reputation for theft unfounded, which is a relief – for the cleaners and their customers!