1
general::
1. Hand over or relinquish, especially money; pay up. For example, It's time the delinquent members coughed up their dues. [Slang; late 1800s] 2. Confess or divulge, as in Pretty soon she'd cough up the whole story about last night. This idiom transfers the act of vomiting to telling the entire truth. [Slang; late 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): cough something up
1. to get something out of the body by coughing. • She coughed some matter up and took some more medicine. • She coughed up phlegm all night. 2. Euph. to vomit something. • The dog coughed the rabbit up. • The dog coughed up the food it had eaten. 3. Sl. to produce or present something, such as an amount of money. • You will cough the money up, won’t you? • You had better cough up what you owe me, if you know what’s good for you.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs