Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Sold for or costing a shilling; worth a shilling.
- Hence, of little value; cheap; trifling; insignificant.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Sold for a shilling; worth or costing a shilling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Having a value or cost of
twelvepence .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word twelvepenny.
Examples
-
Swift writes -- "Bombast and buffoonery, by nature lofty and light, soar highest of all in the theatre, and would be lost in the roof, if the prudent architect had not contrived for them a fourth place called the twelvepenny gallery and there planted a suitable colony."
History of English Humour, Vol. 2 (of 2) Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange 1873
-
I have been very idle this afternoon, playing at twelvepenny picquet with Lewis: I won seven shillings, which is the only money I won this year: I have not played above four times, and I think always at Windsor.
-
I am ruined with coaches and chairs this twelvepenny weather.
-
It is plaguy twelvepenny weather this last week, and has cost me ten shillings in coach and chair hire.
-
I may safely say, that the most of men who are concerned in a trade, will be more vigilant in dealing with a twelvepenny customer, than they will be with Christ when he comes to make unto them by the gospel a tender of the incomparable grace of God.
The Riches of Bunyan Jeremiah Rev. Chaplin
-
In other words, from threepenny to tenpenny 1/4 "is added for each penny, but a twelvepenny nail is 3-1/4" long, a sixteenpenny nail is 3-1/2 "long, a twentypenny nail is 4" long.
Handwork in Wood William Noyes
-
“I know you can find dinners, but you love twelvepenny coaches too well, without considering that the interest of a whole thousand pounds brings you but half-a-crown a day.”
Life And Letters Of John Gay (1685-1732) Melville, Lewis 1921
-
"I know you can find dinners, but you love twelvepenny coaches too well, without considering that the interest of a whole thousand pounds brings you but half-a-crown a day."
Life And Letters Of John Gay (1685-1732) Lewis Melville 1903
-
I am ruined with coaches and chairs this twelvepenny weather.
The Journal to Stella Swift, Jonathan, 1667-1745 1901
-
They are now printing the fourth edition, which is reckoned very extraordinary, considering 'tis a dear twelvepenny book, and not bought up in numbers by the party to give away, as the Whigs do, but purely upon its own strength.
The Journal to Stella Swift, Jonathan, 1667-1745 1901
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.