Dictionary

fifty-eleven en · ADJ

Etymology

From humorous use of eleven to continue counting the fifties.

Meanings

1. (US, dialectal, informal, not-comparable) Very many; too many to count; quite a lot.
   • When Sunday comes, he asks his wife, "Have you made Mary's dress? Is Nellie's hat trimmed? Did you get Johnny's pants and vest done? Have you sewed the hat that was torn? Are my new pants ready to wear? Did you get my undershirt and drawers made?" and fifty-eleven other things are expected to be done just when they are wanted by a kind husband. 1873 October 24, Anonymous, "Poor Husbands", Daily State Journal, p. 1
   • mister: The white man got fifty-eleven way to get money and go to school to learn some more ways. If you go to one of them schools say, "I'm gonna learn how to make money"... they'll give you a mop and bucket. 1999, August Wilson, “King Hedley II”, in Pittsburgh Cycle, volume IX, page 57:
   • Mr. [John W.] Ransone has the part of a stranded German musician and comes to the deserted inn (the servants have struck for their wages) and becomes waiter, cook, porter and fifty-eleven other things to help fill the vacancies. 1915 October 10, Anonymous, "'Two Is Company' Still Pleases", Sunday Oregonian, p. 16

Forms

Relateds

seventy-eleven · ninety-eleven · thirty-eleven · forty-eleven · eighty-eleven · twenty-eleven · sixty-eleven

Synonyms

seventy-eleven · countless · forty-eleven · fifty-eleven · eighty-eleven · several · multiplied · morefold · numerous · twenty-eleven · numbersome · eleventy · multiple · feelefold · many · thirty-eleven · eleventeen · umpteen · manifold · sixty-eleven · legion · manyfold · uncountable · umpty-ump · multiplicate · ninety-eleven