under the counter
Illegally, without receipts
Under the counter describes goods sold secretly or illegally, bypassing official channels: They were selling cigarettes under the counter to avoid taxes.
The phrase evokes a shopkeeper literally keeping illicit merchandise hidden below the counter, out of sight from authorities.
The opposite, above board or over the counter, suggests legitimate, visible transactions.
Illicit trading system
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
- unlicensedWithout official permit
unauthorized · illegal · prohibited · underground · clandestine · knockoff · pirated · gray market
Unrecorded for tax purposes
- tax-freeExempt from duties
- unreportedNot officially documented
- undeclaredNot officially acknowledged
- untraceableImpossible to follow back
undocumented · unofficial · unrecorded · informal · hidden · discreet · hush-hush · backdoor
black market
Illicit trading system
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
unlicensed · unauthorized · illegal · prohibited · underground · clandestine · knockoff · pirated · gray market · back-alley
off-the-books
Unrecorded for tax purposes
- tax-freeExempt from duties
- unreportedNot officially documented
- undeclaredNot officially acknowledged
untraceable · undocumented · unofficial · unrecorded · informal · hidden · discreet · hush-hush · backdoor · secret
under the counterabove board
Honest and unconcealed
legitimate · legal · lawful · licensed · authorized
under the counterover the counter
Sold without prescription
on the shelf · out in the open · openly · publicly · transparently
under, counter, counters, countered, countering, counteract, counterpart, counterfeit, encounter