ðə spˈoːɹt mˈeɪ ɔːltˈɜːnətˌɪvli hæv ɚɹˈɪdʒᵻnˌeɪɾᵻd dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə tˈaɪm wɛn ˈoʊnli ðə ɹˈɛlətˌɪvli wˈɛlθi ɪn ˈɪŋɡlənd wɜːɹ ɐlˈaʊd tə kˈiːp fˈɛɹɪts jˈuːzd fɔːɹ hˈʌntɪŋ, fˈoːɹsɪŋ ðɪ ˈænɪməl pˈoʊtʃɚz tə hˈaɪd ðɛɹ ɪlˈɪsɪt fˈɛɹɪts ɪn ðɛɹ tɹˈaʊsɚz tʊ ɐvˈɔɪd dɪtˈɛkʃən baɪ ɡˈeɪmkiːpɚz.
The sport may alternatively have originated during the time when only the relatively wealthy in England were allowed to keep ferrets used for hunting, forcing the animal poachers to hide their illicit ferrets in their trousers to avoid detection by gamekeepers.