Idiom
banker's dozen
Meaning
Eleven.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I ordered a baker's dozen of donuts for the office.”
“The local shop always gives you a baker's dozen when you buy a full set of rolls.”
“Although the recipe strictly required twelve, the baker provided a baker's dozen to ensure the customer had enough for the large party.”
Examples
simple
“I ordered a baker's dozen of donuts for the office.”
contextual
“The local shop always gives you a baker's dozen when you buy a full set of rolls.”
complex
“Although the recipe strictly required twelve, the baker provided a baker's dozen to ensure the customer had enough for the large party.”
Origin
The phrase is a play on the established baker's dozen, substituting the custom of receiving thirteen for the price of twelve with its opposite. Whereas the baker provides one more than a dozen, the banker provides one less. It functions as a cynical numerical inversion, related in spirit to the concept of bankers' hours.
Key words
Related idioms
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