Buck and a quarter/buck and a half

[Peter Richardson]

Almost. Things like "One and a half" used to be common in used-car lots;
in this case it would be $150, also known as "a hunnert'n'a half." For all
I know, flivver purveyors are still doing this, although I'll wager at
least a buck and a quarter that there aren't many jalopies--'scuse me,
pre-owned vehicles--out there in the used lots for prices like that.

Peter

On Sat, 21 Dec 2002, James A. Landau wrote:

> Has anyone noticed a usage of "buck and a quarter" to mean one hundred twenty
> five dollars and "buck and a half" to mean one hundred fifty dollars?
>
> I don't recall ever having heard it before, until in the last week I heard it
> twice.
>
> Presumably it is used only in contexts in which the order of magnitude is
> clear, but the first time was referring to the fee for a round of golf (not
> being a golfer, I was unaware that $1.25 was ridiculously low) and the other
> time was at a yard sale where the seller (former owner of a major grocery
> chain franchise) gave it as a price for a piece of furniture.  Luckily I was
> warned and asked him which price he meant.  Unfortunately it was the higher
> one, but my wife bargained him down to $110.
>
>            - Jim Landau (perennially context-challenged)
>