all lombard street to a china orange

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duiter

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Hi,

What is all lombard street to a china orange ?

Many thanks
 

Raymott

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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

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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

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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

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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/ozwords/October_96/2._horseracing.htm
 
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