three dollar bill

Since there are no three dollar bills ever printed, the term "three dollar bill" has a meaning of obviously faked. And people say as phony as three dollar bill or as faked as three dollar bill. But what does "as genuine as three dollar bill" mean? easily to tell it's genuine? Or the opposite?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Tombraiders

Since there are no three dollar bills ever printed, the term "three dollar bill" has a meaning of obviously faked. And people say as phony as three dollar bill or as faked as three dollar bill. But what does "as genuine as three dollar bill" mean? easily to tell it's genuine? Or the opposite?

It's a genuine fake, a true fake. If a three dollar bill is not genuine, then whatever is being compared to a three dollar bill is not genuine as well. :D

Then as genuine as three dollar bill = as fake as three dollar bill.

Another one queer as three dollar bill. This phrase means a person is a sure gey. What's the meaning of "three dollar bill" ? "Fake" doesn't make sense here.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Tombraiders

Then as genuine as three dollar bill = as fake as three dollar bill.

Another one queer as three dollar bill. This phrase means a person is a sure gey. What's the meaning of "three dollar bill" ? "Fake" doesn't make sense here.

as odd as, as strange as :D

Originally Posted by Casiopea

as odd as, as strange as :D

Thanks Casiopea.

While I was surfing the Web, I found another explanation for three dollar bill - "unredeemable". Seems like this one fits better because the context is some people discussed if someone is gey.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Tombraiders

Thanks Casiopea.

While I was surfing the Web, I found another explanation for three dollar bill - "unredeemable". Seems like this one fits better because the context is some people discussed if someone is gey.

Sounds great. 8) One can't convert a three dollar bill into monetary units.

All the best, :D

[daddoo]

The origin of the "three dollar bill" being irredeemable might be traced to the failure of the Kirtland Anti-Banking Society in the 1830's and the three dollar notes it printed. The principals of this anti-bank bank were arrested, lost in court and fled the state of Illinois, incurring perhaps as much as $150,000 (in 1830's US dollars) in losses to the investors.

A picture of the "three dollar bill" can be found (among other places) on page 35 of John L. Smith's 2006 Rigdon book.

There were other, earlier, "three dollar bills" printed by banks in the US; however, to my knowledge, none of those institutions had as much scandal (irredeemability) associated with them as those printed by the Kirtland Anti-Banking Society in the 1830's. A picture of a three dollar bill from the 1700's as well as the historical context of such bank-issued notes can be found at http://www.common-place.org/vol-04/no-04/mihm/2.shtml

[hotmetal]

The same thing exists in British English.

We have bent as a nine bob note which has the same two meanings dependent on context.

Bent is slang for homosexual, so someone who is obviously very gay might be "bent as a nine bob note".

Bent also means phony, fake, or stolen hence "bent gear" would be stolen goods. Most Louis Vuitton handbags you see in England are bent as a nine bob note, because they are fakes.

The origin is the same: a 'bob' was slang for a shilling, in the days before decimalisation when UK currency was LSD (L=Pound, S=Shilling, D=Pence (denarii)). There was no such thing as a nine bob note.