单词 | ninepence |
释义 | ninepencen. 1. A coin worth nine pence. Now historical and archaic.Formerly also used in the U.S. for the Spanish real.nimble ninepence: see nimble adj. 6a. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > foreign coins > [noun] > of specific English value ninepencec1525 tenpencec1592 c1525 in W. J. Thomas Anecd.& Trad. (1839) 54 Ninepences are a little buckled to distinguish in their currancie. 1640 B. Jonson Staple of Newes iii. ii. 41 There is a'nine-pence, I will shed no more. 1679 Exec. Bury 6 They had an Art to make a Nine-pence or Groat just new made, look as if it had been Coined these hundred years. 1682 S. Pordage Azaria & Hushai 27 Harim, a man like a bow'd Ninepence bent, Had tried all the ways of Government. 1706 London Gaz. No. 4234/5 Several old Nine-Pences and old Shillings, and many Milled Pence. 1723 D. Defoe Hist. Col. Jack (ed. 2) 54 With Nine pences, and Four-pence-half-penny's,..Scots and Irish Coin. 1776 Battle of Brooklyn i. iv. 16 Then, whip go their estates, like a juggler's ninepence, and themselves to prison. 1812 Ld. Byron Waltz xiii. (note) A new ninepence—a creditable coin now forthcoming, worth a pound, in paper, at the fairest calculation. 1828 Yankee 14 May 157/2 A ninepence in New England..is a shilling in New York. 1868 L. M. Alcott Little Women I. xv. 238 I knew Aunt March would croak; she always does, if you ask for a ninepence. 1892 A. E. Lee Hist. Columbus I. 398 The coin in circulation at that time [c1821] was almost entirely Spanish, consisting of the silver dollar and its half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth, the last two being known as ‘four pence-ha'penny’ or ‘fippeny bit’, and ‘ninepence’ respectively. 1902 T. W. H. Crosland Outlook Odes 68 Ninepence me no ninepences, Two-and-sixpence me no nets, Bring yourself at once To your logical conclusion. 2. a. The sum or value of nine pence, esp. in British currency before decimalization.In early use in phrases denoting extravagance or waste of money: see also to bring one's noble to ninepence at noble n.1 2c. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > money > sum of money > [noun] > specific sums of money > specific amounts of pence sixpencec1380 twelvepencec1380 twopence1477 sevenpence1558 ninepence1568 twopence halfpenny16.. fippence1607 threepence1607 sicle1720 fourpence1852 fivepence- 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. v. sig. H He maketh his martes with marchantes lykely, To bryng a shillyng to nyne pence quickely.] 1568 U. Fulwell Like wil to Like D iv For why Tom tospot since he went hence: Hath increased a Noble iust vnto nine pence. 1598 R. Barnfield Encomion of Lady Pecunia sig. C2v Although such Musique, some a Shilling cost, Yet is it worth but Nine-pence, at the most. 1606 in R. Ruding Coinage Brit. (1817) II. 364 The said Harp Shillings should have..the name and value only of twelve Pence Irish,..being in true value no more than nine Pence English. 1607 R. C. tr. H. Estienne World of Wonders xv. 81 Hauing brought their twelue-pence to nine-pence, and their nine-pence to nothing. 1670 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. 206 As like as nine pence to nothing. a1704 T. Brown tr. A. Syvlius Lett. in Wks. (1708) III. ii. 79 The Devil and nine Pence go with her, that's Money and Company. 1793 T. Pennant Lit. Life 120 The delinquent who, through poverty, has defrauded the gate of nine-pence. 1796 T. Morton Way to get Married i. i. 2 Green peas were yesterday sold at Leadenhall-Market at nine-pence a peck. 1842 C. Mathews Career Puffer Hopkins viii. 67 I've told the manager, more than fifty times, that lightning such as mine is worth ninepence a bottle. 1849 G. Lippard Man with Mask xii. 33 Women who are unmarried, or who are widowed, may slave for nine pence a day. 1873 A. Trollope Eustace Diamonds I. ix. 116 Mutton that before cost ninepence would cost tenpence a pound, and the mouths to be fed would demand more meat. 1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xiv. [Oxen of the Sun] 404 What do you want for ninepence. Machree, Macruiskeen. Smutty Moll for a mattress jig. 1984 N. Guild Berlin Warning (1985) ii. 25 The net shopping bag that was half full of tomatoes..and ninepence worth of greengages. 2000 Way we Were (Electronic ed.) 30 May They charged sixpence at the back and ninepence at the front. b. as neat (also nice, right, etc.) as ninepence: (of an action) neat or brisk; (of a person or thing): tidy, healthy, well-ordered. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adverb] > with physical skill listlyc1000 featouslya1375 featlyc1400 deftlya1500 expedient1509 deliverly1530 handsomely1530 courteouslya1533 neatlya1547 dexteriously1605 cleverly1614 featilya1640 dexterously1646 deft1805 neat1822 handily1832 as neat (also nice, right, etc.) as ninepence1857 1659 J. Howell Prov. Eng. Toung 11/1 in Παροιμιογραϕια As fine as fippence, as neat as nine pence. 1805 T. Morton School of Reform II. iii. 34 I pulled stuff into my hat as clean as nine-pence. 1857 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 81 397 If I didn't see him whip a picture out of its frame, as neat as ninepence. 1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. ix. 76 As grand as ninepence. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1891) 106 I thought I was as right as ninepence. 1968 ‘C. Aird’ Henrietta Who? iv. 37 A rare old state it was in..but your mother..had it right as ninepence in next to no time. 1995 K. Atkinson Behind Scenes at Museum (1996) vii. 198 She is tucked up, nice as ninepence, under a neat blanket to green turf that's like a card table. 2001 Total DVD Feb. 79/3 Motorised as neat as ninepence, it unfolds with a little metallic schwing! sound. c. British colloquial. ninepence in (also to) the shilling: below average, esp. in intelligence; mentally slow. Also as n.: a person of low intelligence. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > weakness of intellect > [adjective] sickc1340 dottlec1390 doting1489 dotish1509 feeble-minded1534 weak-brained1535 silly1568 fondish1579 lean-witted1597 soft1621 weaka1661 touched1697 muzzy-headed1798 defective1825 wanting1839 half-baked1842 dotty1860 knock-kneed1865 lean-minded1867 doddering1871 weak-minded1883 ninepence in the shilling1889 barmy1892 drippy1952 dipshit1968 1889 E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley & Corringham, Lincs. (ed. 2) 370 Nine-pence-to-the-shilling, below the average in common sense. ‘How's Mr..? Thaay do saay as he's nobut nine-pence-to-th'-shilling.’—M. F., Scotton, 1876. 1951 J. B. Priestley Festival at Farbridge iii. ii. 521 She's got a husband who's..ninepence in the shilling, a bit barmy. 1964 ‘A. Gilbert’ Fingerprint v. 77 While they might be sympathetic, it was more likely they thought her child no more than ninepence in the shilling. 1986 T. Barling Smoke vii. 142 I've got the local filth thinking it was some local ninepence-to-the-shilling who likes hurting animals. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < |
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