all lombard street to a china orange

[duiter]

Hi,

What is all lombard street to a china orange ?

Many thanks

[Raymott]

Hi,

What is all lombard street to a china orange ?

Many thanks

I'd say it's the same as "London to a brick".
But I'm just free associating, as one necessarily must in the absence of context.

[Tdol]

Lombard Street is in the business area of London, and the Bank of England is there, so if you bet all of that (a huge amount of money) against a China orange (something of little value), you must be pretty sure you're going to win.

[5jj]

Lombard Street is in the business area of London, and the Bank of England is there, so if you bet all of that (a huge amount of money) against a China orange (something of little value), you must be pretty sure you're going to win.

Did you work that out, or is it an expression used by some? I have never heard it.

The same goes for 'London to a brick', Ray.

[Raymott]

Did you work that out, or is it an expression used by some? I have never heard it.

The same goes for 'London to a brick', Ray.

It might be the Aussie version, as suggested by this page:
Australian slang dictionary

I haven't heard the Lombard St. one.

Oh, and here:
"The Sydney race caller Ken Howard is credited with the phrase London to a brick. Brick was Australian slang for a £10 note (from its reddish colour), and so if, towards the end of a race, Howard claimed that the odds of a particular horse winning were London to a brick, he was saying that the horse was at extreme odds-on, with an indisputable chance."
http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/pubs/ozwo...orseracing.htm