pennyworth contr. penn'orth.
(ˈpɛnɪwɜːθ, ˈpɛnəθ)
Forms: α. 1 peniᵹ weorð, peningcwurð, 4 paneworþ, 4–5 pene-, 4–7 peni-, 4–8 peny-, 6–8 penni-, -worþ, -worth, etc., 6– pennyworth (also as two words, or with hyphen). β. 6 penerth, 6–7 penworth, 7 pennerth, pen'worth, penn'worth, (penneard, penn'eth), 7– penn'orth, (8 pen'orth, 8–9 pennorth).
[f. penny + worth.]
1. The amount of anything which is or may be bought for a penny; as much as is worth a penny.
| α a 1000 Charter of Orcy in Kemble Cod. Dipl. IV. 278 An peningcwurð weaxes. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John vi. 7 Nabbað hi ᵹenoh on tweᵹera hundred peneᵹa wurþe hlafes. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 38 An peniᵹ weorð swefles. 1340 Ayenb. 37 Hi habbeþ þri paneworþes of worke uor ane peny. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. iii. 256 It is a permutacioun apertly, a penyworth for an othre. 1483 Cath. Angl. 274/2 A Peny worthe, denariatum. 1559 Fabyan's Chron. 705 The maior wente to the woode warfes, and solde to the poore people billet and faggot, by the peniworthe. 1573 Nottingham Rec. IV. 153, xviij. peyneworthe of appyles. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 35 ¶8 She..will never buy any thing by single pennyworths. 1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles vii. 69 Ordering..two pennyworth of ale, and bread and cheese. |
| β 1566 Churchw. Acc. St. Dunstan's, Canterb., One penerth of v d nayles. 1617 MS. Acc. St. John's Hosp., Canterb., For thre penneard of wax candelles iijd. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxxviii, She had colloquies with the greengrocer about the pennorth of turnips. |
b. Of land. (
Cf. pennyland.)
| c 1598 Knaresborough Wills (Surtees) I. 215 One pennyeworthe of land lyinge at Norwood Edge. |
c. fig. Amount, sum;
esp. a very small, or the least, amount; often with negative
= not the least bit, none at all;
ironically, ‘a deal’, ‘a lot’.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. viii. 49 Of þe pore peple no peneworþ to take. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 155 All that I may..I suld tak fra him, and never geve him a penyworth tharof. 1590 Nashe Pasquil's Apol. i. B b, [She] had requited euery penni-woorth of duetie with many a pounde of fauour. 1616 Sir R. Dudley in Fortescue Papers (Camden) 16, I have never accepted from any Prince or Prelate one peniworth of Entertaynement. 1664 Butler Hud. ii. iii. 57 This was the Pen'worth of his thought To pass time and uneasie trot. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 26 Apr., It [a dose of medicine] worked Mrs. Gwyllim a pennorth. 1894 Black Highland Cousins I. 18 There will not be a pennyworth of grudging in her welcome. |
† 2. That which is or may be bought for a given sum, in contrast to the money itself. (Often in
pl.)
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 64 Alle þat he mot gete, he robbed & reft, Peny no penyworth, no þing he no left. 1465–6 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 175 To pay me..viij. li. in mony, or in klothe, swche peneworthes as I schal holde me plesed. 1516 Will. R. Peke of Wakefield 4 June, To pay..iiij markes in money or ells in such convenient pennyworth as they will taike for the said money. a 1591 H. Smith Serm. 1 Tim. vi. 6 When he hath bought it,..he boasteth of his pennyworths, and saith, it is better than his money. 1656 H. Phillips Purch. Patt. (1676) B iij b, No man will take a Lease of an house,..but he hath some reason..to..provoke him thereunto, either by the worth of the penyworth, or the conveniency for his Trade and Living. |
3. Money's worth, value for one's money; a (sufficient) return for one's payment or trouble; a bargain;
† profit, advantage obtained. Usually with qualifying
adj. (
good,
great,
fair,
rich,
cheap;
bad,
dear, etc.); also
absol. A good bargain; something obtained at a cheap rate, or fully worth what is given for it. (Often
fig.)
| α 1340 Ayenb. 23 Þet [ydeleblisse] is þe dyeules peni huermide he bayþ alle þe uayre pane-worþes ine the markatte of þise wordle. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iii. xxvii. (1869) 150 Riht ofte she sheweth good penywoorthes. a 1553 Udall Royster D. iv. vii. (Arb.) 75 Haue once more with haile shot, I will haue some penyworth, I will not leese all. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iv. v. 4 You take your peniworths now. Sleepe for a weeke. 1639 Fuller Holy War iv. xv. (1840) 205 To sell his life at such a rate that the buyer should little boast of his penny worth. 1659 Gentl. Calling v. xviii, If a witness prove a better pennyworth than the Judge, subornation shall do the business. 1661 Baxter Mor. Prognost. ii. xix. 49 Cheap Food and Rayment is every ones Penny-worth. 1667 Primatt City & C. Build. 55 They do sometimes buy very great pennyworths in old Rubbish. 1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero's De Finibus ii. 101 That he only design'd to make his own Pennyworths and Advantages. 1772 E. Montagu in Doran Lady of last C. vii. (1873) 173 If a blue tafety..should come in your way and seem a pennyworth, please to add it. 1819 Scott Fam. Lett. (1894) II. 44 The armour, which I have no doubt is a great pennyworth. 1868 Holme Lee B. Godfrey xii. 62 You will not find it a dear pennyworth. |
| β 1664–5 Pepys Diary 3 Feb., Mrs. Turner..is vexed because I do not serve her..in helping her to some good penn'eths. 1678 Dryden Œdipus Prol. 33 You needs will have your pen'worths of the Play. 1716 M. W. Montagu Bassette-table, With fifty guineas (a great penn'orth!) bought. |
† b. Price in proportion to value; (cheap, etc.) rate. Usually in
phr. at a (good, etc.) pennyworth.
| 1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. Biondi's Civil Warres v. 103 They had it at a dearer penny-worth. 1704 Swift T. Tub Wks. 1760 I. 57 This tract of land he bought at a very great penny-worth from the discoverers themselves. 1729 N. Jersey Archives XI. 167 Which said Plantation will be sold at extraordinary Penniworth. |
† c. In appositive or adverbial construction: As a bargain, as good value for the money; cheap. (With or without qualifying
adj.)
Obs.| 1466 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 171 We pray ȝow that ȝe wol lete heme have them the bett[er] peneworthe fore howere sake. 1682 Lond. Gaz. No. 1780/4 A very well made Brewing Copper..may be had a very great Pennyworth. 1733–4 Berkeley Let. T. Prior 7 Jan., Wks. 1871 IV. 210 Perhaps the house and garden..may be got a good pennyworth. 1771 Foote Maid of B. iii. Wks. 1799 II. 231 Rich cloaths, which he has promis'd to sell me a pennorth. |
† d. Robin Hood's pennyworth: a thing or quantity sold at a robber's price,
i.e. far below the real value.
Obs.| 1631 Star Chamb. Cases (Camden) 117 Walton the Bayliffe leavyed of the poore mans goods 771 att Robinhood's peniworths. 1677 W. Hughes Man of Sin ii. viii. 122 In Germany, there is a Robin-Hood's pennyworth to be had,..8000 years of Pardon both from punishment and fault. |
† e. to cast (one's) pennyworths: to reckon up what one gets for one's expenditure; to estimate the advantages and disadvantages of an undertaking; to count the cost.
Obs.| 1530 Tindale Pract. Prelates Wks. (1573) 370 When the prelates of both parties had cast their peniworthes against all chaunces. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Luke xiv, He wyll..cast his peniwoorthes in his minde what charges wyll be requisite for the finishyng of such a toure. 1589 Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 72 Democles..began to cast ouer his bad peniworths, in whose face age had furrowed her wrinckles. 1594 Carew Tasso (Grosart) 78 He casts his penworths by some queint deuice. |
† f. to have (get, etc.) one's pennyworths of (out of, on): to have one's repayment or revenge on, be revenged on.
Obs.| 1567 Edwards Damon & Pithias in Dodsley O.P. XI. 263, I wyll have my penyworthes of thee therefore if I die. 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xiii. (1840) 137 Leopold..meaning now to get his pennyworths out of him, for the affront done unto him in Palestine. 1707 Reflex. upon Ridicule 207 They take out their Penny-worths in Satyr, and Slander. |