What is the origin of “that, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee”? Do you ever say it yourself, or variations on this theme?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “a cup of coffee a sandwich and you“
What is the origin of “that, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee”? Do you ever say it yourself, or variations on this theme?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “a cup of coffee a sandwich and you“
I have used this metaphor many times in my life but…but with inflation I had to raise the amount. So now I just say “That…(whatever information) and a buck might get you a cup of coffee or if it is Starbucks…”That and $2.50 will (actually) get you a cup of coffee.
In other words, sometimes the information is not worth anything and even adding some money will not get you anything.
And.
And there are more money related saying as well.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
Will not get you much these days, inflation has increased that one substantially. Now it is a minimum of $12.50 and even then, you don’t get much. Most thoughts are 8 seconds of silence followed by absolutely nothing of interest.
“If I had a dollar for every idea I ever had, I’d be rich.“
Well?
My ideas actually have cost me money over the long run but I wouldn’t have had all the fun either.
“Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
Actually money does grow on trees, they are called ‘grapes’ and wineries can make a lot of money. I know this for a fact. I looked at my budget for proof in this matter.
“A penny saved in a penny earned “
Gone in Canada, we don’t have pennies any more thus there is no savings. Especially when a cup of coffee is now $2.50.
“Every one buck up!”
In other words “chip in” and pay your fair share. We used to do this at the pub.
Everyone would toss in $5 bucks but now…Everyone tosses in $20. Inflation really sucks.
“Money can’t buy you happiness.”
But money can buy you a cup of coffee, which brings a smile to my face most of the time. I choke at coffee costing $2.50 but bite the bullet…which is another line of quotes to indicate something might be hard to chew on or swallow.
Or “You better stretch that dollar.”
Around here the dollar is stretched so thin that is looks like a foot long piece of string and worth just about as much. If I stretch that dollar anymore it just might not be a dollar at all. Just an observation.
“Dollars to donuts.”…used to make a point that cannot be refuted, as in either way, the answer will be the same.
So a “penny for your thoughts” over a “nickel and that might buy us a cup of coffee” and I bet “dollars to donuts” with inflation, it will cost about $19.50 if you include a piece of pumpkin cake.
Just Sayin’
Every morning I either walk, or pedal to get my morning coffee, usually at McDonald’s, sometimes at Burger King, and even at Jack in the Box. I don’t care for the taste of Starbucks (sorry) so I pass them by. And this morning my mind was dwelling on coffee, and its price. As a senior citizen, I get a discount, and it’s always under a dollar, which seems like a very reasonable price to me for a cup of coffee. Of course, you may be paying four dollars or more for a cup of coffee, which means that for both of us the phrase “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee!” is puzzling. What it really means is that whatever is referred to, whether an idea, or whatever, is absolutely worthless. And the reason is that coffee was a nickel for a very long time.
Let’s time-travel back to the 1940s and go to the Colonial Coffee Shop, which was at 37 E. Monroe in Phoenix. Sit down and let’s have some coffee. How much? A nickel, of course! Prices had gone up since the days when you could get a “shave-and-a-haircut for two bits (25 cents)” but a nickel still went a long way, as compared to its value in the 21st Century. You could ride the trolley car for a nickel, too!
So a nickel meant something of value – it could buy you a cup of coffee. And if you follow me here, if I were to say to you “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee” I’m saying that “that” (whatever it is, probably some hair-brained invention of yours) is absolutely worthless. You could buy a cup of coffee with it, b…
“That” is totally worthless… so the nickel will buy what only the nickel will buy.
it’s like.. A bucket of dirt and $3.00 will buy you a gallon of gas…
The bucket isn’t worth anything, only the 3 bucks is.
Yes I have used it when someone claims something said is of value while in fact it is not. Believe it or not, I remember when ten cents bought a cup of coffee and a New York Newspaper was a nickle.
The expression comes from the Great Depression era, where a cup of coffee or a ride on the subway was 5 cents. But bear in mind that the expression is meant to be sarcastic in its use.
Of course, I do. In more recent decades the price went from a nickel to a dime to two-bits; nowadays, I say “half a sawbuck,” given the cost of a cup of coffee almost anywhere. People think I mean “Starbucks,” a firm I refuse to patronize as much as I can, as I find it obscene to charge that much money for a cup of joe, which costs them only pennies to make, cup and labor included. I can remember when a half a buck would get you a chicken-salad sandwich and a side of chips and a cup of coffee with free refills almost anywhere. I can also remem…
If you open a bank account, they will give you a dictionary; at least, that’s how my wife did it. These vapid questions are on the rise.
Yes, I’ve used a similar expression, but because of the time, culture, and the cost of living, I say ‘That, and $2.50 might buy you a cup of coffee.” And in my opinion, that means nobody really cares what you think, because we all look at things from a different perspective.
Mainly an American saying of course, indicating that “that” thing or idea is worthless. Now one would say “That and $4 …. “
Time-travel back to the 1940s and go to the Colonial Coffee Shop, which was at 37 E. Monroe in Phoenix. Sit down and let’s have some coffee. How much? A nickel, of course! Prices had gone up since the days when you could get a “shave-and-a-haircut for two bits (25 cents)” but a nickel still went a long way, as compared to its value in the 21st Century. You could ride the trolley car for a nickel, too!
So a nickel meant something of value – it could buy you a cup of coffee. And if you follow me here, if I were to say to you “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee” I’m saying that “that” (whatever it is, probably some hair-brained invention of yours) is absolutely worthless. You could buy a cup of coffee with it, but you’d also have to pay a nickel. Kinda snarky, wouldn’t you say?
Prices really didn’t go up until after the war, and then they REALLY went up in the 1970s, not just in Phoenix, but everywhere. I wasn’t drinking coffee in those days, but I remember that the price of candy skyrocketed. My best guess is that coffee was a quarter, or maybe even more. And that made the expression “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee” become absolute nonsense.
Thanks for asking.
I’ve never heard of that phrase so I’ve no idea of it’s origin and as a Brit living in the UK I don’t refer to nickels.
“That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee!” is used to describe that whatever is referred to, whether an idea, or whatever, is absolutely worthless .
Self-worthlessness feeling can be overpowering even for those without a mental condition.
Picture source: Google
Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value” is completely wrong. No matter how hard I work I still feel worthless. But why?
How to get rid of worthless feeling?
1.Speak kindly to yourself:
People who feel worthless often engage in negative thinking and self-talk. It may be challenging at first, but focus on treating yourself with kindness.
2.Pay attention to when worthlessness strikes:
Start noticing when these worthlessness feelings emerge, what is happening when they occur, and what type of thoughts might be contributing.
3.Keep a gratitude journal:
Worthlessness can creep in when you find yourself comparing your own life unfavorably to the lives of others. Refocusing your thoughts in this way can help protect you from the negative effects of comparison and envy.
4.Do something for someone else:
Sometimes when you are feeling worthless, focusing your attention on something other than yourself can help.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is due to a bias to blame oneself for failure in a global way resulting in worthlessness and hopelessness in oneself.
All these 4 steps help to come out of it. Have variations on themes.
A different or unique way of doing, saying, or presenting something that has been done in the past .
Now, you nailed it. I have faith in you that you can emerge into a worthful and valuable person to this society. Have in heart, that worse situations may come, don’t loose hope when u are closer to success ✨.
Heartiest greetings to all respective readers 💐
Kiruba 🧚♂️
I’ve heard the expression…but it’s pretty obscure. I guess it means ,whatever your bringing up is “useful as tits on a rain barrel”.
A sarcastic reply to an opinion seeker.
Back in the days, when coffee cost only a nickel, this sentence was used to indicate the worthlessness of the ‘That’ in the sentence. The ‘That’ is so worthless (It may be an idea, invention or some sort of that thing) that it would not even fetch a coffee. To buy a coffee you may need only nickel but the ‘That’ was so worthless that you have to give a nickel along with it to purchase a coffee.
I change it every time I say it. So I may say something like, “That and $1.9M USD will get you a Tuatara.”
its like dont spend that wooden nickel which goes back to the days when milk was delivered to your house and the cap was a piece of wood with a printed nickel on it ..we kids would save them and our grandpa would sell us a piece of candy for that nickel…..or how about my favorite …thats my 5 cents worth of ? ..there was a great looking lady next door to me when I was a teen with a raging sexual drive but did not quite understand it all ( 12 to 13 yr old )… everytime she caught me looking at her she would say “thats a nickel in the cookie jar”..why was the poor nickel picked on like that..I will do more lookin up on the poor old nickel …thats my 5 cents worth …Dave
The first time I heard that phrase, was about 38–39 years ago,on the TV show Baretta, starring Robert Blake, or Mickey Gubitosi, (for all you Little Rascal) fans.
I don’t recall the set up, but Detective Tony Baretta, said: “Well, you can wish in one and a dime in the other, you could buy a cup of coffee.”
I’m not sure exactly where that saying came from and I’ve heard it many times ,but not much in the past 40 years or so,,for a nickles worth of advice , is your unsolicited advice and a nickel will get you a cup of 10 cent coffee is what was intended, in other words your advice is unwanted , and has a value less than a cup of coffee has ! It’s Been a while .
found this link which kind of explains it. personally I never heard of this phrase till now so I haven’t used it.
I love creative sentences like these.Arent they fun in a boring world? Hats off to the creator of such sentences.
This phrase appears to have been originated from the era when a cup of coffee could be bought for $0.05 (nickel). So saying that ‘whatever’ and a nickel would get you a cup of coffee was just a way of saying that ‘whatever’ it was (usually an idea or opinion) wasn’t worth much.
I have no idea what the origin is but if you know where I can find a cup of coffee for a nickel… I’d love to hear about it!
Sure, I’ve used it. That and 50 cents gets you a ride on the trains in the city, was my version. Over time, It wore out a little so, I shortened it to either, “Yeah, so what?” or, “So what?”
Yes, many times. Seems two different small change references use two cents and a nickel to indicate over usage of something. “If I had a nickel for every time somebody said…
Like shave and a haircut two bits we are a long way from the nickel cup of coffee. The term was to minimize the value of the that part whatever it may be ,but still give you value in a cup of coffee. But clearly said the that part was worthless. The owner of the colonial coffee shop at 37 Monroe street in Phoenix Arizona laid claim to originating that phrase in 1941. When people were guessing about our involvement in World War Two before Pearl Harbor on December seventh.
Related to use of coins, means that a particular idea / statement is actually worthless, at a time when a subway ride actually was available for a nickel ?
Logically therefore – it is worth a one way subway ride ?
All sayings have been modified over time, context, use and the language is also imp…
Hi Barbara, I don’t know the origin, but it essentially refers to a time when coffee was a nickel and means that whatever ‘that’ is in the scenario is worthless. It usually refers to something someone said – advice or something stating the obvious. I adjust for inflation and sometimes say ‘Gee, thanks. That and a buck will get me a cup of coffee.’
How funny that this would be a question for me. My roommate was telling me a story about a rapper and when he finished I said, “ that and $7.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.” I say it frequently enough to information that has no relevance to the conversation, or information that is simply empty. As far as the origin of the expression, that I could not say, but what a great expression!
I say that and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks…. It means that whatever “that” is is worthless.
Coin into Coffee machine will get you Cup of Coffee like weighing machine gets your weight when you put coin into it
I don’t drink Coffee ☕
No, I’ve never said this. It is an old expression when coffee cost $.05 at diners. “That” referred to anything that had no value. Imagine how much coffee costs now then it did in the 1940s!
That and nickel…
Peet’s
Your point of view and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee. That has been around for ages, no idea who first coined it. I rarely use it. I usually say: “IF YOU BELIEVE THAT SHIT I’VE GOT SOME OCEAN FRONT PROPERTY IN ARIZONA I’LL SELL YOU REAL CHEAP.”
Inflation has occurred. I remember the money involved being first a dime and then a quarter. By now the saying goes, “That and a dollar will buy you a cup of coffee.” It’s important, you see, to keep up with the market price of a cup of coffee. After all, the point is a claim that the “that” is actually worthless.
I do see it, although I try to avoid sarcasm in my own speech. (Try, I said. Try.)
Yes, I’ve used sentences derived from the one in the question. The expression means the referent of “that” is of low value. It hails from a time when a cup of coffee in a diner cost five cents. So the nickel paid for the coffee, the advice or whatever is referred to as “that”, would not be counted toward the bill.
Answering: What is the origin of “that, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee”? Do you ever say it yourself, or variations on this theme?
I was born in Brooklyn New York in 1952. The phrase I heard was “That and a nickel will get you on the subway.” The subway fare was a nickel (five cents).
So if someone boasted of some possession, or accomplishment, this was the sarcastic reply. I never heard it used in a serious or nasty way. It was always used with a note of humor. A sarcastic but gentle rebuke.
Brother: “Guess what?! I was elected Vice President of the chess club.”
”Sisiter: “Oh, how wonderful! That and a nickel will get you on the subway!”
Sister: “Look at the medal I won in the spelling contest.”
Brother: “Great! That and a nickel….”
Never heard that one 🙂 I kind of like it though. Does it mean that your idea plus a nickel… oh, I wonder if it’s from the saying, “Those are my 2 cents’ worth.” So, the 2 cents plus the nickel, get you a 7cent cup of coffee. I could imagine that coffee was once 7 cents 🙂
I imagine the phrase originates from a time when 5¢ would buy you a cup of coffee (e.g. the 1950s or earlier). The point of the phrase being whatever “that” is isn’t really worth anything.
I use a similar construction sometimes personally: “That and three fifty will buy you a Starbucks” which has the same point, whatever “that” is (usually my opinion about something) should not be taken to have much value in its own right.
that saying has changed with the dollar bill iow INFLATION ,it was a dime when i 1st heard it means “that is no big deal” or “your answer is pretty obvious “ it can be said concerning ANYTHING that applies {coffee ,donuts etc} to being a known quanity of something seen or used all the time, lol, iv got a few but not very DELICATE ones iow NOT MEANT FOR HERE .
Obviously, whatever “that” is: does not hold much value, influence or importance. Also: “nickel coffee” is probably before my time. These days “that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee” is a little closer to reality. However, I do not know where one can get a cup of coffee for a quarter. Sometimes people think of sayings that are the same, who have never known, seen or spoken to each other. They may even live thousands of miles away from each other. I am aware that there are people in our beautiful nation that do not like or drink coffee. Nevertheless: coffee is a big deal here. Particularly in both the civilian and military work place.
I have heard this in old movies! It is hard for us today, to imagine a 5 cent cup of coffee. But it was that price in 1910 or 1920.
No I never hav said it.
When I’m speaking my opinion, I say, “ Take my opinion, and a quarter. That way when it’s all said and done, you’ll have something worth a quarter.
Sorry. I don’t know. I seldom drink coffee. I know that McDonald has coffee for $1. Also they may have free coffee for seniors. Ha! Ha!
When you say “that, and a nickel” what does “that” represent? Is “that” a “smile”? He! He! If “that” is a “smile”, then you may not even need the nickel. Ha! Ha!
Have a happy lunar new year.
Take care, stay safe and healthy.
It’s a flippant way of saying that “that” – whatever it is – has no value in the present context. As another answer says, you need to update the value as needed, e.g., “that and $4 will buy you a latte.”
I wouldn’t use this expression except when clearly in bantering mode with close friends. Otherwise, it is too condescending and smart-alecky for my personal taste.
I see the coin below I gather it is a nickel. Never heard the saying Barbara, but it is a sad reflection on the lack of progress to equity in beleifs that it is still stamped with religious text. Institutionalised brainwashing?
It originates in the era when cafes & diners would literally only charge $0.05 for a cup of coffee, so saying that whatever “and a nickel” would get you a cup of coffee was just a way of saying that whatever it was (usually an idea or opinion) wasn’t worth much.
I’ve used “that and a bus token will get you a free ride” before.
It’s also similar to the reply when some says they wish for something: “wish in one hand, shit in the other, and tell me which hand fills up the fastest” in that it implies the wish is worthless by itself.
I’ve also heard a variation “that and a pair of shoes will take you for a long walk”, which seems to be another way of calling “that” a wild goose chase.
The expression is used to describe some recently mentioned thing as being worthless and insignificant.
No, I have never used it for it appears to be a derogatory comment.
Alternative form of ‘that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.’
It means “that” is worth nothing, but if you had a nickel, you could get a cup of coffee!!
Think Donald Hump said that in his inauguration speech!…😝
I don’t know who started using it but it must have been when you could get a cup of coffee in a diner for a nickel.
The sense is that something is worthless; you still have to pay full price for coffee.
I usually just say that something is worthless.
When Wiki can’t find a citation for a phrase, other than it is chiefly of US and Chinese origin, with so many different versions, I feel safe to relay my own personal version of, “That and a bag of chips, will get you a bag of chips.”
Thanks for the request, Barbara.
The original phrase “that and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee” refers to authorities giving someone a medal or citation but offering them no financial or emotional support after a trying ordeal such as war.
I suspect the saying dates back to the 1950s regarding the return of veterans from World War II,
I first heard it in a documentary in which it was spoken by a bitter Francis Gary Powers a CIA operative, flying a spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960.
Powers was imprisoned in the Soviet Union where he gave limited information to the Russians. He returned to the US in 1962 in a prisoner exchange.
Powers was upset at suggestions he should have taken the suicide pill the CIA gave him. Years later, in 1970 he was fired from his CIA-paid job at Lockheed for telling his story in a book. After his sacking is when I remember him remarking almost verbatim about an official recognition, “That and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee.”
It was decades ago I saw that doco but I have good long-term memory, and I thought was an apt and powerful expression to describe injustice. I never had occasion to use the expression but, obviously, it has stayed in memory.
You have probably seen the saying updated to something like “That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.” It is used in a crime drama to tell an informant their information is worthless. It has a general meaning of something being worthless but I believe the original meaning was more loaded than that.
We can date this expression by the fact it refers to a cup of coffee costing a nickel.
When did a cup of coffee cost a nickel?
1950
The price of a cup of coffee stayed at a nickel from 1912 (when it was worth about $1.10 in today’s money) until 1950 (a mere 45 cents today), before it inevitably rose to two nickels.9 June 2008.
If I am correct that the expression comes from disgruntled war veterans (Francis Gary Powers was one) it could have been coined by one of the “lost generation”, post WorlWar I. But I do not think so. I believe the expression arrived in the 1950s.
No,but I heard my mother’s generation say it. Until it became absurd to expect a cup of coffee for a nickel. I think it’s a Depression saying,maybe from a movie.
In 1964 when I was in high school I hung out with my friends at the Squeeze-In across from school. Coffee was a dime. A burger was 35 cents.
I don’t say it as it’s kind of corny. It’s the kind of sarcasm I would expect in dialogue from a 1940s Raymond Chandler detective novel—very enjoyable in context, but otherwise out of place.
Duke Says,
It’s more an observation on the effect of inflation on our daily lives. The period when a cup of coffee cost a nickel was most commonly during the Depression. My how the times have changed. The Duke of Texas.
You’re asking I’m bored questions again, Capalbo.
That said, I’m pretty sure I originated it. “That” is a reference to this question.
In your honor, I’m updating it to, “That, and Capalbo owes me a cup of coffee AND a doughnut.” (By “a doughnut,” I mean a dozen of Krispy Kreme.)
A2A. No idea where it came from; the insinuation is that the thing is valueless in and of itself. And what I usually say is “[item] and a dollar might get you an off-brand soda.”
Yeah, and it’s irritated a couple of people, probably because it’s more than a few words,
Lets say Bob or Greg or Ambreesh (no names changed to protect anyone) walked into my cube, back before I decided to save my soul by retiring from those gigs. One of them yammers about something they know we’re in disagreement.
In response, I stand up (at 6′5″ that’s noticeable in a cube farm with 3′ walls), make the international hand sign for “binoculars”, pivot left and right, saying “Ya know what I’m looking for?”
“Yeah, that’s right, someone who cares.”
I don’t say it and you wouldn’t hear it here in Ireland. It means that “that” is worthless. It certainly sounds like an American phrase , especially with the word “Nickel” in it. I’m not aware of it coming from any film or book and it doesn’t seem to be credited to anybody. It’s origin might be lost to us.
I don’t know where the expression originated, and I can’t remember to use it very often, but it’s gotta be a really old saying—a nickel won’t even begin to get you a cup of coffee—or anything else!
Have a great day!
Saying from the nineteenth century when a nickel was the cost of a cup of coffee. This basically meant that whatever the person was offering was worthless.
Etymology
* Implying the dollar is the cost for the coffee, leaving the other item worthless.
Phrase
* that [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/that#English ] and [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/and#English ] a [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a#English ] dollar [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dollar#English ] will [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/will#English ] get [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/get#English ] you [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you#English ] a [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a#English ] cup [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cup#English ] of [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/of#English ] coffee [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coffee#English ]
1.
1. (chiefly US [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States ]) comment used to imply that previously stated information, ability, or item, is of no value.
2.
1. So you can name all the Chinese provinces? That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.
Synonyms
* (1): that and a token will get you on the subway [ https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=that_and_a_token_will_get_you_on_the_subway&action=edit&redlink=1 ]
* (1): that and twenty-five cents will get you a cup of coffee [ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/that_and_twenty-five_cents_will_get_you_a_cup_of_coffee#English ]
The original expression was:
“That and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee.”
Inflation crept in and now it would be more appropriate to say:
“That and $2.55 will get you a latte at Starbucks.”
The meaning remains the same, i.e., minus the 50 cents (or $2.55) the thing itself is worthless.
Since we live in India , we do not use the Dollar…
I don’t have an equivalent to the nickel saying, but I’m reminded of what I say when I’m quoted an exorbitant price, e.g. $95.00 for a 10-minute plumbing job: “Does that include a weekend in Bermuda?”
Although I can’t tell you the origin of the nickel-and-coffee expression, my favorite variation is, “If we had some ham, we could make a ham sandwich, if we had some bread.”
Yes. But inflation has taken it up to a quarter now. “That and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.” So, whatever was just said wasn’t worth much…
“A nickel” is so 1968. LMAO. Cigarettes cost a quarter a pack in the 1970s.
I’ve said “that and a dollar will buy you a postage stamp.” 😄
When I was about 20 years old, I heard for the first time an expression I refused to use except in the most extreme circumstances: “Wish in one hand and shit in the other, and see which fills up faster.” Too gross for polite company, but apt for severe states of delusion.
Thanks to God and Ford Motors, I’m a re…
Never heard of that one. Is that like “a penny for your thoughts”?
(It always tickles me that Americans still refer to pennies)
What it really means is that whatever is referred to, whether an idea or whatever, is absolutely worthless. And the reason is that coffee was a nickel for a very long time.
Well, I have gead of it but I still do not know it’s origin but this phrase is used when a coffee is too high rated that it will cost you a piece of nickel with some other things. I too am a coffee lover and hanker for a great coffee, but I do not remember having bought a too expensive coffee for myself. Though I have a desire to taste it. The most expensive I did ever buy or I can remember was a thirty rupees cup. It was a good amount of money for a coffee then.
I, myself, have never used this phrase before!
I used to say “that and a quarter will get you a gumball”. I have no idea as to the origin. It may have roots in the depression era. The phrase implies whatever other item you have is essentially worthless.
I used to say it. Now I say, “That and four bucks….” or something along those lines. The idea is that “That” is absolutely worthless.
I’ve never used that specific expression; by the time I learned to talk (mid-1950s), coffee was already 10¢. But the basic expression, “That and [X] will get you [something worth X],“ is very flexible, and I’m sure I’ve used it.
I don’t know the origin or indeed the meaning.
Being British I use pounds and pence and a long while ago a few shillings so never nickels and I don’t like coffee.
It’s an old but from when coffee was a nickel. In essence, it’s saying your point is useless (because you still need to pay for the coffee).
Back when diners routinely sold cups of coffee for five cents each — long before I was born — that saying originated when somebody came up with a brilliant idea that somebody else realized was stupid and said it, implying that it was worth nothing because if you tried to trade it for a cup of coffee, you’d fail because the idea was worthless and still have to pay for your brew.
I uses to say this when i was a kid because I heard it from my parents and grandparents. Now I just say, “Uh – huh,” or nothing at all unless the idea giver insists, in which case I express my honest opinion. I subscribe to the philosophy of not asking a question you don’t want answered.
No, but I remember in the mid 1950’s Los Angeles, California, when you could get a cup of coffee and a donut for a dime. Really! And with that dime, you could have a coffee refill. That was on Alvarado Street, near Olympic Blvd. And the guy who had the coffee shop was there all the way through around 1959, still selling a donut and cup of coffee for a dime.
When I was a kid in the early 1950’s in south eastern Kansas, you could buy a coke and a candy bar for a dime. Today, a coke and a candy bar will run you about $3.00 or more.
Where did the phrase: “that, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee?”
If I remember right, and I’m reaching way back because I couldn’t find the answer on the Internet, in one of Damon Runyan’s stories, he was talking to one of his Broadway street pals and said, “ Yeah, and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee.” Runyon wrote stores for Colliers Magazine from around 1930 to 1945. Runyon wrote stories about gamblers, gangsters, hustlers, all with funny street names. Like “Nathan Detroit”, “Harry the Horse”, and so on. Lots of idiom slang.
I don’t remember the context of how or why he said it, but it was probably in response to one of gangsters or hustlers saying something like, “ Got two bits for the ball game,” And Runyon might have said,” Yeah, and for a nickel you get a cup of coffee.”
None of what I said is for sure, but it seems like I read the phrase in either a Damon Runyon story or some other around 1950 or so.
To the question: “What is the origin of “that, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee”? Do you ever say it yourself, or variations of this theme?” No!
I used to say it. Now I say, “That and four bucks….” or something along those lines.
The idea is that “That” is absolutely worthless. So add it to a nickel (what a cup used to cost long ago), and you’ll have enough to pay for a cup of coffee.
Eight O’Clock
variations
“With that and a dollar, you can ride the bus.” or buy some gum
You get some perspective when thinking about how important or useful upvotes are.
Horn & Hardart automats kept the price at a nickel up to the 1950s, as I recall.
In NYC, the expression is, “That and a nickel will get you on the Staten Island Ferry”. While the ferry is now free, they used to charge. In 1960s it was 15 cents if I recall correctly,, which gives you some idea how long ago it was a “nickel”
It originated when a cup of coffee cost five cents. Basically, it was a way to say something was worthless.There’s nothing cheap enough these days to use this kind of ironic metaphor. Just say it’s worthless.
Customer gives waiter a piece of paper and a nickel.
Waiter: What’s this?
Customer: My opinion. A guy told me that and a nickel would get me coffee. Coffee, please.
Waiter: (reads the paper and gasps) Sorry, pal, THAT opinion’s gonna cost you a lot more than a nickel!
What it really means is that what is referred to, whether an idea or whatever, is absolutely worthless. And the reason is that coffee was a nickel for a very long time. Let’s time-travel back to the 1940s and go to the Colonial Coffee Shop, which was at 37 E. Monroe in Phoenix
Oh sure, I remember saying that.
I’ve heard my father say “that and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee”. I don’t know the origin of the phrase though
It is an old saying (hey a cup of coffee cost a nickel back then). It is linking your story or idea is worth nothing, so little in fact a 5 cent cup of coffee wont be discounted anything for your idea\story\thought, it will still cost you a nickel. Nowadays I say, “that and $5 will get you a Starbucks latte!”.
I don’t know the origins but yes I’ve said it a lot but I usually say $1.50 rather than a nickel.
I just learned it recently and haven’t used it or its variations at all. From the information I got it means that whatever ‘that’ implies is worthless since in the mid twentieth century, a cup of coffee cost a nickel. So saying that and a nickel will get you a coffee could be broken down into, a nickel will get you a cup of coffee and ‘that’ will get you nothing. It was a classic way of saying that ‘that’ is worthless without directly offending somebody.
It means that their comment, response or whatever they just stated is useless or worthless. I have used this expression, but, not recently (I would say a dollar, I am not THAT old).
It means is that whatever is referred to, whether it’s an idea, a thought or whatever, it is absolutely worthless. And the reasoning behind this old phrase is that coffee was a nickel for a very long time, through the 1940’s and in a few places into the very early 1950’s. This phrase at least 85 years old.
And yes I say it, but not as often now. Many,…
I have applied inflation to the equation as well as an upgrade. “ That and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee downtown.”
Not at all sure of the origins, but I have used it a lot in my lifetime to basically say – big whoop.
I have not heard this expression in years! Nowadays you would have to be pretty old to remember when a cup of coffee in a restaurant cost a nickel! The expression just means “That achievement or that degree is not worth anything (in money).” You might say something like, “I won the award for the Most Distinguished Teacher in the College of Liberal Arts—that and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee.” That would be a self-deprecating use of the expression, which is the most benign use that can be made. If you use this expression to belittle somebody else’s achievement, this is insulting. I have never used this about myself, because A. I have not achieved very much in my lifetime, and B. the few things I have achieved (like college degrees and co-authoring a book) are things I am proud of and although those things are worth very little in money, I would not wish to belittle them.
A phrase used in US to imply that previously stated information, ability, or item, is of no value.
He got a phd in philosophy. If we say, “that (he a ohd degree holder) and a nickel (dollar, cent etc) will get you a cup of coffee.
Let’s time-travel back to the 1940s and go to the Colonial Coffee Shop, which was at 37 E. Monroe in Phoenix. Sit down and let’s have some coffee. How much? A nickel, of course! Prices had gone up since the days when you could get a “shave-and-a-haircut for two bits (25 cents)” but a nickel still went a long way, as compared to its value in the 21st Century. You could ride the trolley car for a nickel, too!
So a nickel meant something of value – it could buy you a cup of coffee. And if you follow me here, if I were to say to you “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee” I’m saying that “that” (whatever it is, probably some hair-brained invention of yours) is absolutely worthless. You could buy a cup of coffee with it.
And I’ve never said or even heard bout it till recently.
This a truly American saying. It means that nickel is the cost for the coffee, leaving the other item or information worthless. (Coffee costs much more these days in the USA!)
“So you can tell me all about the game of cricket? That, and a nickel (or a dollar), will get you a cup of coffee.”
(“That” refers to the information on the game of cricket.)
Yeah, I still use variations of it from time to time, of course with an adjustment for the value of a dollar, lol.
The exact origin is unknown as far as I can tell but the phrase “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee!” meaning that whatever the idea or info that is being referred to is absolutely worthless goes back to the the 1930s and 1940s, when for a long time (prices really didn’t go up until after the war) a cup of coffee was a nickel at a Coffee Shop. You could ride the trolley car for a nickel as well… “shave-and-a-haircut for two bits (25 cents)”! And the prices on things really didn’t go up until after the war.
A dollar was a dollar but a nickel still went a long way…. so a nickel meant something of value and saying “That, and a nickel, will get you a cup of coffee” is a snarky way of saying that ‘whatever it is’ is absolutely worthless.
I also use the phrase “here’s a nickel (or maybe a dime)….go buy yourself a better sense of humor”. It has remained affordable through the years. Lol
I´ve heard it, but I never took to using it. So it´s kind of an approval of what someone is saying/doing.
Instead of it I´ve also heard (and prefer) “give the man/woman a prize” when somebody does something or says something very good.
Well let’s say that the cup of coffee is a nickel. So the “that” that you are referring to is in actuality worthless. I don’t know where the origin of the saying comes from but I’ve heard it in one form or another for years.
No and I don’t have any ideas that a cup of coffee with indicator “that” and a nickel could purchase a cup of coffee. 🙂
Last time I heard that and $10.00 will get you coffee at Starbucks.
In 1959 when Hawaii became the 50th state some family friends took a cruise ship to Hawaii and stayed for a month or so. Mom wanted to mail them a letter. She asked the mailman (1959 appropriate) how much it was to send a letter their. He said a nickel. Mom said “Oh just like us”! I still remember the look on his face when he said Mam “She is one of US”
It goes back to when a cup of coffee cost a nickel, with the implication that whatever’s being referred to is worth zip.
It’s a way of putting something with no value into perspective. I haven’t used the phrase much myself, but recognise it in a great deal of American pop-culture.
This is an insult, because it’s from the time when coffee was very, very cheap, like 5% of a nickel. And the first word, “that” refers to “your thoughts”.
So if you are having an argument and when the one you argues with gets frustrated and has nothing left to say. He/she can at least try to silence you by saying: “Your argument is very, very stupid, but in a more witty way.
And “no” I have never used it myself, but I’m thinking of starting with it now.
I know the expression of course but I have never heard any variant of it used in the UK. Back in the 50’s and earlier coffee was a much less common drink in the UK than it is now.
However, we do say “It’s not my cup of tea” meaning I don’t like something. Or at any rate we used to when I was a lot younger.
Back in the days when a cup of coffee cost 5¢, it was a way to say, “That’s worthless.”
+ 5¢ = 5¢
+ $1,000 = $3
In other words:
A better modern variant is “That plus a thousand bucks will get you a cup of coffee”—i.e., “That’s less than worthless; possession of it is a liability.” In other words:
For at least sixty years, in my opinion, the phrase has been overused and unoriginal.
I remember being about eight years old and eagerly telling my uncle something I had just learned about dinosaurs or the solar system or something. He said, “With that and a nickel you could buy a cup of coffee,” and so I asked, “How much does a cup of coffee cost?” When I was told “about 15¢”, I said, “So you’ll pay me 10¢ for it?” My uncle, nonplussed but quick with a comeback, said, “Do you drink coffee?” I wish now I had called his bluff. My mom (who had been tormented by his jabs as a child) would have poured me a cup that was 90% milk and 8% sugar. I’d have pocketed the dime, and with 2¢ more, I could have bought Amazing Spider‑Man #1 , now worth about $1M .
No; I don’t use this phrase or its variants. It seems mean-spirited in at least two ways.
Dunkin’
It is a wonderfully pithy all-American expression, easily updated. A nickel-cup-of-coffee strongly suggests an origin during the Depression.
Kindness… kindness without giving oneself as the kind person any kind of ongoing direct responsibility.
What you said, and your nickel, will get you a coffee even if it doesn’t technically afford it, but no more, but happy if you’re happy.
The expression dates back to when a cup of coffee could be had for a nickel. I suppose today, it would be better said, that and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee. The meaning behind the phrase, was that coffee cost a nickel. Adding something that had no value, for example your opinion, didn’t get you any more than the nickel alone.
“And a nickel” wouldn’t work; you might say “a couple of bucks” or “five bucks.” You name an amount which would already be enough to buy the coffee outright.
If I use this expression, it means, “that is my thought / those are my thoughts, which may be worth nothing at all.” But they are my thoughts and I’ve usually thought about the matter in some depth.
It’s a humble and humorous way of presenting an idea.
This expression is exactly used to mean someone idiomatically. If someone expends some coins/cents/pennies etc for any buy-sell than others do, at that time, this expression is used. And this is a very heart-rending bitter talk.
I’ve never heard the expression, not even when I lived in the US, and I’m not sure what it means, so I can’t say if there are any similar British expressions.
Good morning, Ms. Capalbo,
Hmmm…I don’t remember using this cliche, however in a kind of similar vein, I have used, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”
I don’t know the origin, but I’ll look it up and get back to you.
I never heard that saying. I have heard the variation of it it: “that and a nickel will get you on the subway”.
Haven’t heard it or said it in decades though, especially since it hasn’t been under $1.00 since 1985.
I say “That and five bucks might get you a cup of coffee!” Every time I get offered a useless idea, which is often. A decent barista job costs about $5.50 here but a competent gas-station cup of Joe can be got for around $3.
I’ve never said this to myself. It would bring back memories or dreams of when a nickel was actual money, but the point is that the opinion referred to has no value in the world. In life, if you find yourself thinking or voicing opinions that have zero value as communications to another person. it’s time to get your mind in order. The kind of response it would be nice to elicit might be: this is a really interesting conversation & and it’s helping me figure out what I need to do next. Let me show my appreciation and shell out however many bucks it now costs, and by you a cup of Starbucks coffee.
The clue to its origin is the phrase, “and a nickel”. There was a time when a cup of coffee in a restaurant would actually cost only 5 cents. That time was approximately between 1914 (start of WW1) and 1945 (end of WW2).
The origin of the phrase is most likely America (perhaps the only nation that used a “nickel” as a coin) and the period would be between the two World Wars.
The mean…
I don’t know its origins, but I use the expression from time to time with and updated price like a dollar or two dollars and sometimes replace coffee with a coke or something. That’s really because people not familiar with the expression may think that means your opinion is actually worth something. It had me confused when I was a kid the first few times I heard it.
In my experience, it’s been used for saying an opinion is worth about as much as the air that carries it, but I guess it can mean a useless effort of any kind.
I use that and not my cup of tea and other old saying that I picked up from my grandparents. may young people today have no clue about what it means since a cup of coffee today to $4.
I have absolutely never heard that expression and certainly never said anything like that to myself or anyone else.
I don’t know the origin of the expression, but in California we say “That and three bucks will get you a latte.”
The price of coffee at the Automat was a nickel from 1912 to 1950. So, a great idea and a nickel would get you a cup of coffee.
Back during the Depression a cup of coffee cost a nickel I think. “That” which is your opinion, plus said nickel makes your opinion worthless. 0+5=5. 0=the amount of your opinion.
For every time I’ve heard that and a nickel I’d be a millionaire? Is a reflection of popular sentiment, worthless except for the nickel, no matter how common.
Why not a dime or a penny? Too thin or is too close to worthless? I dunno.
No, I have never say it and only heard it two to thee times in my life. I don’t really don’t what they mean but I do have what I am thinking and won’t pass it along.
Barbara, since you directed this question to me personally, and I wasn’t sure of the answer, I googled it. I suggest you do the same, before you post questions of this sort. You would be amazed at the vast information of all kinds you can find… (If this question was addressed to the general public, I would’ve passed, ignoring it)
Alright, this phrase appears to have been originated from the era when a cup of coffee could be bought for $0.05 (nickel). So saying that ‘whatever’ and a nickel would get you a cup of coffee was just a way of saying that ‘whatever’ it was (usually an idea or opinion) wasn’t worth much.
If you were seeking the origin such as the direct source of a writing or someone’s saying, I do not know. No, I never said it myself, nor have heard someone say it.
bECAUSE Thats how much a cup of coffee went for back in the day
Dad you used talk about that
It is a saying when you have no money and times are hard but you have your health and strength so you say that ,and a nickel will get you cup of coffee it goes back to the days of poverty the depression ,BUDDY CAN YOU SPARE A DiME its an inner strength you have fight to carry on .
I know the meaning but not necessarily the true origin though it’s referencing a time when coffee cost a nickel. It’s basically saying, at least in my mind, the coffee is a nickel and whatever else, the ‘that’ is therefore worthless. The ‘that’ could be anything from your opinion, an idea, a scheme, a politician’s promises! Anyway that’s my take on it.
And the variation on it that I think is similar enough is the “two cents” one as in “Great, so glad Milly had to put her two cents in.” No offense Milly! Many use it self-depracatingly as well to say “Well if you want my two cents.” To me it’s the same premise in that the person’s idea or opinion is worthless, or next to worthless at two cents. Interestingly this one claims many origins from poker and gambling references to when postage only cost two cents and even back to the Bible. So once again the origins remain a mystery even if we understand the meanings. And we all may have slightly different interpretations or variations that we use but I think the general theme is the same.
I also added an interesting article about coins as it made me think of the coins left for the ferryman Charon in mythology.
Barbara, I remember that from when I was a kid in the 50s. It was a well-worn expression then too. Judging by the Five Cents, it went back to the depression years when coffee cost 5 cents. Of course the meaning is that whatever one is offering is worthless. The expression is still heard, sort of as a throwback, but it still sticks. It’s like “that and a token will get you a ride on the subway,” but alas that is outdated now. I have used the expression “that and ten pounds of potatoes and you’ll have a meal.” It dates me, for sure.
What it really means is that whatever is referred to, whether an idea, or whatever, is absolutely worthless. Coffee was a nickle for a very long time when price inflation wasn’t an issue.
It id a saying ever used in the UK. I can’t readily think of anything like it used in the style of English spoken in the UK or the idioms used.
When a cup of coffee cost a nickel, 1940s and 1950s, this expression was another way of saying your “that” has little or no value.
Have you ever heard one guy tell a buddy: ”Ya got nothing!” ??? Meaning of course in a friendly way that the idea is not a particularly valuable one, or would not make a good business plan.
Well…back in the day, I remember a cup of coffee being 10 cents, one thin dime, two flat nickels. It is fair to assume that FURTHER back in the day a cup of coffee might have only cost 5 cents. A worthless business idea and 5 cents WOULD get you a cup of coffee. But that’s all!!
I’m sorry, but I never heard this before. Do you think it may have come from the Depression, when you could get a cup of coffee for 4¢ or 4¢?
That came into vogue when coffee cost a nickel (5 cents) a cup. To keep up with inflation, you might hear increasingly higher estimates for the price of a cup of coffee but, the sense remains—your opinion is worthless.
I heard this remark made about the Army Commendation Medal when I was in the army (1969–1971). One Sergeant Eddings said it, but he wasn’t clever enough to come up with it on his own; he heard it somewhere.
Never heard of this until now. In line with inflation, the equivalent expression here would be:
“That — plus three quid will get you a cappuccino!”
But the expressions I use would be ones like:
That’s as much use to me as an ashtray on a motorbike.
That’s as much use as a pork pie at a Jewish wedding.
Wow, thanks for that. It’s actually even less fun and interesting than it sounded in your head.
What’s this for? OK. Put it next to the chocolate teapot and the giraffe in high heels.
A cup of coffee does not cost very much. So “that” in this example (whatever “that “ is ) is not worth very much.
Once, near the turn of the last century of the previous millennium, the average price of a small cup of cheap coffee from a street vendor in most major cities was 5¢.
Essentially, you are saying that the idea just expressed is worthless in this situation.
Hi, Barbara! I know of the saying and it always amuses me. It’s not one I grew up with – I’m English with a Spanish name -and I can’t for the moment say I’ve come across an equivalent on this side of the Pond. As so often, someone may well prove me wrong. Come to think of it, I could always adopt it as a happy saying.
Just thinking again, I’ve a feeling I might have heard it from an aunt of mine who lived several years in the USA before being expelled(!) for not having the essential green card. That said, she’d had a great time, got pally (to say the least) with a lot of cool jazz musicians – and only hit a problem when the cops pulled over the car she was in.
She was enjoying a last ride (as it turned out to be) with the legendary Rueben “Hurricane” Carter, who just happened to be sporting a large, business-like revolver under the dash. Trouble for him. Back on the boat for her!
Best ride she’d ever had, she always said. And I thought she was talking about the car!
Victor Allen’s
I’ve heard this one all my life, mine is “That and three dollars will get you a cup of coffee anywhere.” Stsrbucks prices, ya know.
Folks have mentioned the nickel cup of coffee. There used to be a restaurant called Sambos and periodically they would hand out wooden nickels you…
Coffee sold for about a nickel during the Depression. This saying meant that someone’s opinion was not needed!
Nobody seems to know the origin, but there are many variations – with that and a dime, you can make a phone call, with that and a token you can ride the subway etc. It’s a way of denigrating something – saying that it’s worthless.
Yes, though the price of a cup of coffee has gone up enough that the saying has to be adjusted to make the meaning clear. It disparages whatever thought, effort or value has been offered.