bawbee

[ baw-bee, baw-bee ]

/ bɔˈbi, ˈbɔ bi /

an old Scottish bullion coin, originally worth about three halfpence of English coin, later sixpence.

a halfpenny.

anything of little value.

Origin of bawbee

First recorded in 1535–45; named after Alexander Orok, 16th-century mintmaster, laird of Sille bawby

bavarian, bavarian cream, bavarois, baveux, bavin, bawbee, bawcock, bawd, bawdry, bawdy, bawdyhouse

Because there's bonny braw air on the braes of Hampstead, and it costs but a bawbee to get intil it.

Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 103, September 10, 1892 |Various
But 'twas all tatters at the bottom, not worth a bawbee to mine.

Strangers at Lisconnel |Barlow Jane
Now that I am going the way of all flesh, I have gi'en you every bawbee I have.

Winter Evening Tales |Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
She seemed to me to have spent all her days behind a counter, smirking thankfulness to bawbee customers.

The Ayrshire Legatees |John Galt

As for the wages they got, they were that sma', folks used to toss up a bawbee to see whether they wad keep a servant or a canary.

Erchie |(AKA Hugh Foulis) Neil Munro

bawbee

/ (bɔːˈbiː) /

a former Scottish silver coin

Scot an informal word for halfpenny (def. 2)

C16: named after Alexander Orok of Sillebawby, master of the mint