in the stocks—
1. (of money) invested in shares in return for interest:
- Sir William had a fair estate in land, a large sum of money in the stocks….
2. is used of an old instrument of punishment (the person punished sitting with his ankles confined between two planks):
- I have seen a man in the stocks as a punishment for drunkenness.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase in stock—used of a supply of goods for sale, etc.:
- We will have more bicycles in stock in a few weeks.
on the stocks—
1. (of ships) in the process of being built:
- The Mariner’s Girl is on the stocks and should be ready for sea in about six months.
2. in process of preparation or completion:
- This is one of his latest productions, but he has another musical on the stocks.