close
    why are 10 penny nails call pennys

    0  Views: 1397 Answers: 2 Posted: 13 years ago
    Tags: tools

    2 Answers

    A ten penny nail reffers to the size of the nail.
    A ten penny nail is 3 inches long.
    An 8 penny 2 1/2 inches.
    A 16 penny 3 1/2 inches


    Penny system "was based on the number of nails of that size in one pound. In time this came to be mispronounced until it became "penny". A ten-penny nail weighed 10 pounds (pennies) per thousand nails."

    It is commonly believed that the origin of the term "penny" in relation to nail size is based on the old custom in England of selling nails by the hundred. A hundred nails that sold for six pence were "six penny" nails. The larger the nail, the more a hundred nails would cost, hence the larger nails have a larger number for their penny size. This classification system was still used in England in the 18th century, but is obsolete there now.
    Source(s):
    Wikipedia


    ten·pen·ny nail (tnpn, -p-n)
    n.
    A nail 3.0 inches (7.6 centimeters) long.
    [From its original price per hundred.]



    Top contributors in Uncategorized category

     
    ROMOS
    Answers: 18061 / Questions: 154
    Karma: 1102K
     
    Colleen
    Answers: 47269 / Questions: 115
    Karma: 953K
     
    country bumpkin
    Answers: 11322 / Questions: 160
    Karma: 838K
     
    Benthere
    Answers: 2392 / Questions: 30
    Karma: 760K
    > Top contributors chart

    Unanswered Questions

    789clubzacom
    Answers: 0 Views: 6 Rating: 0
    dh88us
    Answers: 0 Views: 4 Rating: 0
    zx88wbiz
    Answers: 0 Views: 6 Rating: 0
    hanoimasaji
    Answers: 0 Views: 6 Rating: 0
    Nk88snet
    Answers: 0 Views: 6 Rating: 0
    Nhà Đài Bet88
    Answers: 0 Views: 5 Rating: 0
    Nhà cái OPEN88
    Answers: 0 Views: 6 Rating: 0
    > More questions...
    524372
    questions
    758333
    answers
    870672
    users