What does right as Ninepence meaning?
Very tidy, neat, and well-organized; in good order.
Where does the expression right as Ninepence come from?
But, back to ninepence. It has been suggested it comes from the game of skittles or ninepins, but The Phrase Finder has found the first reference in a book of English proverbs from 1659: “as fine as fippence, as neat as nine pence.”
What is a Ninepence?
1 : the sum of nine pennies. Note: This term is usually used of British pennies. 2 : an old Irish shilling worth in England about nine British pennies. 3 : the old Spanish real formerly worth in New England about 12¹/₂ cents.
What does it mean to as right as rain?
Definition of (as) right as rain informal. : in excellent health or condition After a few days of rest, you’ll be right as rain again.
What part of shilling is Ninepence?
Often it was expressed by a solidus symbol (“/”), which may have originally stood for a long s or ſ, thus 1/9 would be one shilling and ninepence (and equivalent to 21 pennies expressed as denarii, “d” for short; the shilling itself was equal to twelvepence).
Are right as rain?
If you say that someone is as right as rain, you mean that they are completely well or healthy again, for example when they have recovered from an illness or a shock.
What does right as the mail mean?
“Right as the mail” means absolutely right, absolutely correct, with no possibility of error or uncertainty. The idea behind it is that the mail (the post) is always delivered properly and promptly.
Why is a shilling called a bob?
‘Bob’ was also used to refer to a set of changes rung on church bells, and this may have been the nickname’s origin as the word ‘shilling’ has its origins in the proto-Germanic word ‘skell’ which means ‘ring’.
Which countries still use the shilling?
Shilling, former English and British coin, nominally valued at one-twentieth of a pound sterling, or 12 pence. The shilling was also formerly the monetary unit of Australia, Austria, New Zealand, and Ireland. Today it is the basic monetary unit in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
What does right as the rain mean?
: in excellent health or condition After a few days of rest, you’ll be right as rain again.
Why is rain right?
The allusion in this simile is unclear, but it originated in Britain, where rainy weather is a normal fact of life, and indeed W.L. Phelps wrote, “The expression ‘right as rain’ must have been invented by an Englishman.” It was first recorded in 1894.
What is a saying or expression?
A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows: Aphorism: a general, observational truth; “a pithy expression of wisdom or truth”.
Where does the phrase’as Nice as ninepence’come from?
The phrase ‘As nice as ninepence’ – meaning and origin. What’s the meaning of the phrase ‘As nice as ninepence’? Neat, tidy, well-ordered. What’s the origin of the phrase ‘As nice as ninepence’?
Where did the saying’as smart as ninepins’come from?
The ‘ninepins’ form, in the guise of ‘as smart as ninepins’ isn’t found until the 20th century, so it is reasonable to assume that it is a simple mishearing of the earlier ‘as neat/clean/grand as ninepence’ versions.
Where does the saying as fine as fippence come from?
“As fine as fippence, as neat as nine pence.” The ‘fippence’ (five pence) here makes it clear that the reference is to money rather than to skittles. For it to appear in a list of sayings viewed as proverbial it must have been in existence for some time before 1659.
What did Gladys Aylward call her first child?
Though Gladys gave her the official name of Mei-en (“Beautiful Grace”) she always called her Ninepence. This was the first child she adopted. Soon she had more, many more, especially as the country erupted into war. The local Mandarin (magistrate) liked to talk with her.