eggs for money

Gammerstang commented on the word eggs for money

(pl. noun) - (1) In the phrase to take eggs for money, to accept an offer which one would rather refuse . . . Farmers' daughters would go to market, taking with them a basket of eggs. If one bought something worth . . . three shillings, fourpence, she would pay the three shillings and say - "will you take eggs for the rest of the money?" If the shopman weakly consented, he received the value of the fourpence in eggs, usually . . . at the rate of four or five a penny. But the strong-minded shopman would refuse. Eggs were even used to pay interest for money.

--Walter Skeat's Glossary of Tudor and Stuart Words, 1914

(2) A proverbial expression, when a person was either awed by threats or overreached by subtlety, to give money upon a trifling or fictitious consideration.

--Robert Nares' Glossary of the Works of English Authors, 1859

(3) Mine honest friend, will you take eggs for money?

--William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, 1611

January 17, 2018

alexz commented on the word eggs for money

I like all these words you're listing Gammerstang.

January 17, 2018

Gammerstang commented on the word eggs for money

You're welcome alexz! I still have a lot more to go through.

January 17, 2018