Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tenpence to the shilling

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ten-pence -to the shilling
IPA

32

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

Mentally deficient.

British usage; Dated; Slang

Example Sentences

"I knew that chap; but he never was more nor tenpence to the shilling. He was one of the men, we say, who fell out of his cradle and knocked his head."
"He felt no curiosity about news or daily events, and was getting to be looked on as 'tenpence to the shilling' in the head."
"Whenever he did manage to engineer a meeting she always treated him as if he was only tenpence to the shilling, a few bricks short of a load, as if he needed another brain cell to qualify as a plant."

Etymology

The British shilling was worth twelve pence, so tenpence would be a deficient exchange.

Usage

British usage
Dated
Slang

Questions

What does tenpence to the shilling mean?: Mentally deficient.
Where does tenpence to the shilling come from?: The British shilling was worth twelve pence, so tenpence would be a deficient exchange.

How to pronounce tenpence to the shilling

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