JimmyRB5PRO

Anyone know, is it just cockney ryhming slang or does it actually have a meaning, as in a £ coin ???

brickboy

I think it's from "quid pro quo", meaning fair exchange or settlement.

pslewis

The most common slang term in Britain these days for a pound is quid, a term which was once used also of the guinea. It is always used in the singular, so one speaks of “ten quid” or “fifty quid”, never of “quids”, except in some set expressions such as quids in, meaning “in luck; well off for money”. It may derive from the Latin quid “what?” or from some association with the quid of chewing tobacco, which itself is just a variant of cud.

Pete

TelBoy

The short answer is that nobody knows for sure - the OED states its origin as uncertain. The quid pro quo theory seems to hold most credence. Apparently it first appeared in English language in the late 18th century, in case you're interested...

JimmyRB5PRO

these are all looking good keep them coming.......

Hobo_Jojo

it derives from the lost city of atlantis when it wasnt lost when they used to use 'squids' as currency but along the many years the word has lost its s to sound a more solid word to represent the solidness of modern day coin currency

Scooby96

quid pro qou:

something that is given to a person in return for something they have done:
The government has promised food aid as a quid pro quo for the stopping of x, y or z

andrew6321

surely if it was derived from the latin you would expect every other nation whose language is latin-based to use the same term....but they dont....

brickboy

Hobo -- you mean poorly octopus

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yeah..........I remember now, I owe you sick squid:

Alcazar

JimmyRB5PRO

so looking at these then does anyone actually really know , or are these just the best educated guesses ????

r32

It comes from the Latin Quidligoo, which means cold money house. In Roman times the money was made of cocolate so they had to keep it in a 'cold house' or igloo, you've probably heard the word. When the Romans kept the money in their forums they used to have wax sticks they would light, called Roman Candles, youve probably heard that word too? The candles would melt the money so they made houses out of ice. Particularly difficult in Rome in the summer months, they kept the money for 100 years or centuries and the guys who looked after the money worked a shift of 100 years and they were called Ceturians, youve probably heard the that name too.
It all lasted until Brutus stole two and put them in his mouth, to which Ceaser said the famous line eat two Brutus.
Simple really .....................

TelBoy

Jimmy, my answer was as straight as i could make it. Honestly, nobody really knows, but *most* people accept the quid pro quo explanation...

JimmyRB5PRO

Ok these are the best of what i've found, so some of you are right.....

Quid \Quid\, n. [Etym. uncertain.] An English coin, a sovereign. [Slang, Eng.]
They invited him to come to-morrow, . . . and bring half a quid with him. --Charles Reade.

Quid \Quid\, n. [See {Cud}.] A portion suitable to be chewed; a cud; as, a quid of tobacco.

Quid \Quid\, v. t. (Man.) To drop from the mouth, as food when partially chewed; -- said of horses. --Youatt.

quid n
1: the basic unit of money in Great Britain; equal to 100 pence [syn: {British pound}, {pound}, {pound sterling}]
2: something for something; that which a party receives (or is promised) in return for something he does or gives or promises [syn: {quid pro quo}]
3: a wad of something chewable as tobacco [syn: {chew}, {chaw}, {cud}, {plug}, {wad}]

guess these will have to do.........lol.....