four-and-nine en · NOUN
Etymology
From the price of four shillings and ninepence, at which a once noted advertising hat-maker sold his hats.
Meanings
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(UK, obsolete, slang) A cheap hat.
Around me young and old, / Take this advice of mine, / When you want a hat, / Don't buy a four and nine.
1850, William Mark Clark, Clark's Orphean Warbler (page 424): Four and Nine Tile (song)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| four-and-nines | Number=Plur | lexicographic |