two pounds and one pence

[ademoglu]

Hi,

- Two pounds and one pence.

Does it mean "£2.1" or "£2.01"?

Thanks.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think it means the latter because there are 100 pence in one pound, but I am not a teacher.

 

[Tdol]

It cannot be the first, which would be two pounds ten, and written £2.10.

 

[emsr2d2]

Most cashiers and shop assistants would say "That's two oh one" please. We frequently omit the "pounds" and "pence" parts.

That's £1.50 - That's one fifty.
£8.49 please - Eight forty-nine please.

Theoretically, that could be confusing because, for example, "That's £150" can also be said as "That's one fifty". However, the listener is very likely to know whether they have spent £1.50 or £150 and, of course, most shop tills show the amount too.

 

[Raymott]

- Two pounds and one pence.
Does it mean "£2.1" or "£2.01"?

I think you're actually asking, 'Is two pounds and one pence written as "£2.1" or "£2.01?' or:
'Does "£2.1" or "£2.01" mean two pounds and one pence." or better:
'Which means "two pounds and one pence" - "£2.1" or "£2.01?'

 

[Rover_KE]

Actually 'pence' is a plural word. Like Piscean, I'd say 'two pounds and a/one penny' (have a look at the coin and see what it calls itself).

However, so many of my compatriots say 'one pence' (including a Chancellor of the Exchequer in a budget speech), that I just have to suck it up.

 

[Tdol]

I remember the arguments about saying 10-pee when we had decimalisation instead of saying the proper term- I was in primary school at the time. I am afraid that I have fallen on the one pence/ten pence side. Decimalisation won out on all the issues with the currency IMO.;-)

 

[Rover_KE]

Don't forget the silver thrippenny bits in Christmas puddings.

 

[Tdol]

Same here- Rover, where did they say thrippenny?

 

[Rover_KE]

In my corner of Lancashire. Actually, it sounded like 'thripny'.

 

[Raymott]

It was a "thripenny bit" in Australia before decimalisation on 14/2/1966.

I've never been able to get Dollar Bill's song out of my head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZTeWLA1LAs

And this one wasn't as jingly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6JawKH2yaQ

 

[emsr2d2]

My great-grandmother on my mother's side (from London) always used to put the silver coin in the Christmas pudding, and she (and we) pronounced it "threpny". My grandmother on my father's side (Wiltshire) also added the coin but pronounced it "thruhpny". The first time I saw "threepenny (bit)" written down, I remember being slightly surprised as the spelling sounded like neither of my relatives' pronunciations.