Posted by James Briggs on March 31, 2006
In Reply to: Paying through the nose posted by Phil Scanlan on March 30, 2006
: "Paying through the nose". I have been informed recently that this phrase originated as a result of a tax levvied on snuff. Can anyone confirm that this is correct?
If you go to http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/41/messages/861.html you'll find a previous discussion. No one seems to have heard the 'snuff' possibility.