Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[ClarissaMach]

What does this expression means, "all under a fiver"? Is it related to really chep things?

[CP]

In the U.S.A., a fiver is a five-dollar bill; a tenner is a ten-dollar bill; a single is a one-dollar bill.

Decades ago, a tenner was also called a sawbuck; a fiver a half-sawbuck; and a twenty a double-sawbuck. (Most people would probably not understand those terms today without explaining them first.)

So I'm guessing "all under a fiver" means that all the goods mentioned cost less than $5.00.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[ClarissaMach]

Thank you once more!

But I guess it became a kind of expression, didn't it? I'm mean, to refer to low cost things.

In Brazil we would call it "um e noventa e nove" (R$1,99), especially if we're talking about stores that sell very cheap articles.




Clarissa Alves Machado.

[CP]

Well, I've never heard anyone say, "All under a fiver," so I don't think it has become a well-known expression. But I can imagine a store called "All Under a Fiver," where everything is on sale for $5 or less. There are stores in the U.S.A. called "99 Cent Store" or "Under a Dollar," where everything costs less than a dollar.

You can tell how unpopular a celebrity's book is, for example, by checking how soon it shows up at the 99 Cent Store.

Where did you see the expression?
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[ClarissaMach]

Here it is:


The Medoc and Graves Marathon
It may not be the ideal race to set a world best in, but if it�s fun and frivolity you want throughout your 42 kilometres, then M�doc has it in abundance. It features an extraordinary party in the grounds of an ancient ch�teau, a route that cuts through the cloistered, manicured private vineyards of the region, and the kind of hospitality and atmosphere that no other event can match. Fancy dress is the order of the day, with wide-eyed villagers turning out to cheer on hordes of runners as they make their slow progress from the wine parishes of Pauillac, St Est�phe, St Julien and Margaux. Finishers get an open-air supper and take home a wooden-cased bottle of claret, a pendant cast as a bunch of grapes and a knapsack to carry the goodies in. Understandably, the French make up the lion�s share of the field, but although large tour groups are discouraged, single competitors or small independent groups are welcomed with open arms. Apply early � it�s the most popular marathon in France and always heavily over-subscribed. But with all that for under a fiver, it�s not hard to understand why.

[CP]

I see. Thanks for the whole quotation.

The author said, "with all that for under a fiver." He meant that the runner who is lucky enough to get entry to this delightful marathon will get not only the race but also all sorts of other things for less than five Euros. What a bargain! No wonder it is so hard to get into the race.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb