When did a Bob ever mean a quid?
Discussion
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Sorry to be a pendant, but a bob was a shilling, which later became 5 new pence ..... I think !A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Businessballs said:
bob - shilling (1/-), although in recent times now means a pound or a dollar in certain regions. Historically bob was slang for a British shilling (Twelve old pence, pre-decimalisation - and twenty shillings to a pound). No plural version; it was 'thirty bob' not 'thirty bobs'. Prior to 1971 bob was one of the most commonly used English slang words. Now sadly gone in the UK for this particular meaning, although lots of other meanings remain (for example the verb or noun meaning of pooh, a haircut, and the verb meaning of cheat). Usage of bob for shilling dates back to the late 1700s. Origin is not known for sure. Possibilities include a connection with the church or bell-ringing since 'bob' meant a set of changes rung on the bells. This would be consistent with one of the possible origins and associations of the root of the word Shilling, (from Proto-Germanic 'skell' meaning to sound or ring). There is possibly an association with plumb-bob, being another symbolic piece of metal, made of lead and used to mark a vertical position in certain trades, notably masons. Brewer's 1870 Dictionary of Phrase and Fable states that 'bob' could be derived from 'Bawbee', which was 16-19th century slang for a half-penny, in turn derived from: French 'bas billon', meaning debased copper money (coins were commonly cut to make change). Brewer also references the Laird of Sillabawby, a 16th century mintmaster, as a possible origin. Also perhaps a connection with a plumb-bob, made of lead and used to mark a vertical position in certain trades, notably masons. 'Bob a nob', in the early 1800s meant 'a shilling a head', when estimating costs of meals, etc. In the 18th century 'bobstick' was a shillings-worth of gin. In parts of the US 'bob' was used for the US dollar coin. I am also informed (thanks K Inglott, March 2007) that bob is now slang for a pound in his part of the world (Bath, South-West England), and has also been used as money slang, presumably for Australian dollars, on the Home and Away TV soap series. A popular slang word like bob arguably develops a life of its own. Additionally (ack Martin Symington, Jun 2007) the word 'bob' is still commonly used among the white community of Tanzania in East Africa for the Tanzanian Shilling. As ever, more detail is welcome.
HTHETA: Bob-a-Job week was axed in 1999, on "Health & Safety" fears...
Edited by crossle on Sunday 3rd January 23:29
Nigel Worc's said:
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Sorry to be a pendant, but a bob was a shilling, which later became 5 new pence ..... I think !A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
pacey_sot said:
Nigel Worc's said:
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Sorry to be a pendant, but a bob was a shilling, which later became 5 new pence ..... I think !A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Nigel Worc's said:
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
Sorry to be a pendant, but a bob was a shilling, which later became 5 new pence ..... I think !A bob is 5p. Hence 50p being 10 bob.
Is this cos scouts wouldnt consider doing a job for 5p and thus think a quid is what is required for Bob a Job week?
I know..I shouldn't care but I do.
And well done Nige for not editing!
ldgitalert:
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
You can't expect the 'moricans to understand the finesse of counting in 12s, 14s and 16s, never mind name the units correctly.. and with Labours failed education policies adding to the demise of british intelligence levels one can't expect these muppets to be able to do anything correctly (they can't even make a hamburger properly)
JMGS4 said:
cazzer said:
New macdonalds advert calls a pound a Bob.
You can't expect the 'moricans to understand the finesse of counting in 12s, 14s and 16s, never mind name the units correctly.. and with Labours failed education policies adding to the demise of british intelligence levels one can't expect these muppets to be able to do anything correctly (they can't even make a hamburger properly)Aged 10 or 11, she was working with money (in base 12, 14 and 16 simultaneously) adding, subtracting and even doing proper long division with it. All with scrupulously neat handwriting. I did A-level maths and Further Maths, and had to engage my brain to follow her working!
Compared to some of the work I see going on in primary schools these days, I was staggered!
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