baker



baker's half dozen

Half of a "baker's dozen" (13 rather than 12), thus, 7 rather than 6. The term "baker's dozen" to mean 13 originates from an 11th-century practice in which bakers would include an extra loaf of bread in a dozen so as to avoid facing penalties for selling underweight bread. The seven deadly sins are a baker's half dozen of things one should avoid in order to live a moral life.
See also: dozen, half

a baker's dozen

Thirteen; one more than a usual dozen (12). When Jacob went to the bakery to buy doughnuts for the office, he made sure to get a baker's dozen so he could sneak one to eat on the way to work.
See also: dozen

a baker's dozen

thirteen. (Bakers often added an extra item to an order for a dozen.) We ended up with a baker's dozen each of socks and undershirts on our shopping trip.
See also: dozen

a baker's dozen

  (old-fashioned)
thirteen The judges selected a baker's dozen of promising entries from the hundreds they received.
See also: dozen

baker's dozen

Thirteen, as in The new bagel store always gives you a baker's dozen. The origins of this term are disputed. One theory is that in times when bread was sold by weight, bakers who short-weighted their customers were heavily fined, and for safety's sake they would sell thirteen loaves for the price of twelve. Another theory is that dealers purchasing bread from bakers were allowed by law to receive thirteen loaves for the price of twelve, the thirteenth representing their cut of profit. [Late 1500s]
See also: dozen

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Estera-Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian
Osanne-French (Rare)
Pierinapye-REE-nahItalian
Arend-Dutch, German
Feodosiy-Russian
FerdyFUR-deeEnglish