Sackie Watch

[Laurence Horn]

>How about "Two Bits" for a quarter? This was still used here in
>Montana among my (Vietnam War era) contemporaries - there was a cheer used
>at high school sporting events: "Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar -
>all for <name of school> stand up and holler!"
>
>And what of "thin dime", "red cent", and "plugged nickel"? I still hear
>these in speech.
>
>--
Only in "negative contexts", though (i.e. contexts licensing 'minimizers'
and other negative polarity items):

That's not worth a {thin dime/plugged nickel/red cent}
*That's worth a {thin dime/plugged nickel/red cent}
*She spent a {thin dime/plugged nickel/red cent} on me

Unlike the other examples (two bits, sawbuck, fin), these three are
non-referential.

larry