What Does Right as Ninepence Meaning?

: Can Anybody Tell Me Where the Saying "As Right as Ninepence" Came from? According to Brewer, This Is a Corruption of 'Nice/Right as Nine-Pins'. 'Nine-Pins' Is a Game (Skittles) in Which the Nine 'Men' Are Set up with Precise Exactitude in Three Rows.

Who Coined the Phrase Right as Rain?

The Allusion in This Simile Is Unclear, but It Originated in Britain, Where Rainy Weather Is a Normal Fact of Life, and Indeed W. L. Phelps Wrote, “The Expression 'Right as Rain' Must Have Been Invented by an Englishman. ” It Was First Recorded in 1894.

What Does Ninepence Mean?

1: the Sum of Nine Pennies. Note: This Term Is Usually Used of British Pennies. 2: an Old Irish Shilling Worth in England About Nine British Pennies. 3: the Old Spanish Real Formerly Worth in New England About 12¹/₂ Cents.

What Does Being at a Loose End Mean?

: Not Knowing What to Do: Not Having Anything in Particular to Do with Everyone on Vacation She Was at a Loose End.

Where Did Fit as a Fiddle Come from?

The Phrase Fit as a Fiddle Dates Back to the 1600S in British English, but Had a Slightly Different Meaning Then. the Word Fit Had as Its Primary Meaning 'Well-Suited, Apt for a Particular Purpose'.

Does Right as Rain Mean?

Informal. : in Excellent Health or Condition After a Few Days of Rest, You'll Be Right as Rain Again.

Is Right as Rain a Metaphor?

The Phrase as Right as Rain Is an Idiom. an Idiom Is a Metaphorical Figure of Speech, and It Is Understood That It Is Not a Use of Literal Language. .. . Figures of Speech Have Definitions and Connotations That Go Beyond the Literal Meaning of the Words.

What Does Bolt from the Blue Mean?

: A Complete Surprise: Something Totally Unexpected.

What Is the Simile of Right?

A Dictionary of Similes. Right as a Glove. Right as a Golden Guinea. Right as a Nail.

What Is the Meaning of the Idiom Fit as a Fiddle?

: In Good Physical Condition: Very Healthy and Strong I Feel (As) Fit as a Fiddle This Morning.

Are as Right as Rain?

If You Say That Someone Is as Right as Rain, You Mean That They Are Completely Well or Healthy Again, for Example When They Have Recovered from an Illness or a Shock. You'll Be as Right as Rain as Soon as You Are Back in Your Own Home with Your Baby.

What Does Don't Beat Around the Bush Mean?

To Avoid Giving a Definite Answer or Position. Please Stop Beating Around the Bush and Tell Me the Full Story.

What Does Right as the Mail Mean?

"Right as the Mail" Means Absolutely Right, Absolutely Correct, with No Possibility of Error or Uncertainty. the Idea Behind It Is That the Mail (The Post) Is Always Delivered Properly and Promptly.

Is a Violin a Fiddle?

Western Classical Players Sometimes Use “Fiddle” as an Affectionate Term for the Violin, That Intimate Companion and Workmate. but in the United States, Most Often “Fiddle” Means the Violin as Used in Irish-Scottish-French Traditional Music and All the Descendant American Styles: Appalachian, Bluegrass, Cajun, Etc.

What Is the Origin of the Expression Clean as a Whistle?

: : The Origin of the Phrase "Clean as a Whistle" Is? .. . ' the Expression Is Proverbial, at Least Since the 18Th Century, When Robert Burns Used a Variation on It. More Likely the Basic Idea Suggests the Clear, Pure Sound a Whistle Makes, or the Slippery Smooth Surface of a Willow Stick Debarked to Make a Whistle.

What Mean over the Moon?

Phrase. If You Say That You Are over the Moon, You Mean That You Are Very Pleased About Something. [British, Informal] Synonyms: Ecstatic, Transported, Delighted, Thrilled More Synonyms of over the Moon.

What Does Ameliorative Mean?

: To Make Better or More Tolerable Medicine to Ameliorate the Pain. Intransitive Verb. : to Grow Better.

What Does Raft Mean in Writing?

The Raft (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) Writing Strategy, Developed by Santa, Havens, and Valdes [1], Helps Students Understand Their Role as a Writer and Communicate Their Ideas Clearly by Developing a Sense of Audience and Purpose in Their Writing.

What Is the Meaning of Taken up?

Definitions of Taken Up. Adjective. Having or Showing Excessive or Compulsive Concern with Something. “He Was Taken up in Worry for the Old Woman” Synonyms: Haunted, Obsessed, Preoccupied Concerned.

Is Right as Rain a Cliche?

Cliché Perfectly Fine; All Right. (Based on the Alliteration with R. *Also: as ~.) Lily Has Sprained Her Ankle, but After a Few Weeks of Rest She Should Be as Right as Rain.

What Is the Definition of Come Rain or Shine?

—Used to Say That Something Will Happen Even It Rains the Party Will Be on Tuesday, Rain or Shine. —Sometimes Used Figuratively for No Matter What Happens I'll Always Love You, Come Rain or (Come) Shine.

What Does the Idiom Feeling Under the Weather Mean?

When You Are Under the Weather, Your Condition Is Not Serious. You Do Not Need to Be in a Hospital or See a Doctor. Some Word Experts Say That “Under the Weather” Also Can Mean Feeling Drunk or Having a Hangover.

What Does the Idiom Cost an Arm and a Leg Mean?

Definition of Cost an Arm and a Leg

Where Does the Expression as Right as Ninepence Come from?

By Robert Thorne

• Oct 8, 2026 • 5 min read

Where Does the Expression as Right as Ninepence Come from?

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

It Has Been Suggested It Comes from the Game of Skittles or Ninepins, but the Phrase Finder Has Found the First Reference in a Book of English Proverbs from 1659: “As Fine as Fippence, as Neat as Nine Pence. ”

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

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