what is case quarter

case quarter

English [ edit ], noun [ edit ].

case quarter ( plural case quarters )

• A single 25- cent coin, as opposed to any combination of coins adding up to 25 cents.

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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Case quarter n..

( US ) a 25-cent coin (rather than the equivalent sum in smaller change); thus case dime on same principle.

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What's your understanding of the term "case quarter" and it's origin? 1 1

Started by Henri Charriere , June 15, 2021

21 posts in this topic

Henri Charriere

It had always been my understanding a "case quarter" was a coin sought just in case one needed to make a ☎️ 📞 in the days of public phone booths and beepers or some other emergency such as anticipating use on a toll road or bridge. After doing some digging as to its origin, I discovered I wasn't even close and its application is very old and has since evolved. Where and under what circumstances have you heard the term "case qurter" used? 

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slowing down in ur old age?....it means same as always meant......single.....

18 minutes ago, zadok said: slowing down in ur old age?....it means same as always meant......single.....

Okaaay... and what's this South Carolina connection all about as noted by Google, along with references to British and Australian slang and the O.E.D. pointing to the Hebrew word for a "crown"? We're talking, at a minimum, hundreds of years of history whose use today appears to be limited to people who live on the margins of society.

36 minutes ago, Quintus Arrius said: Okaaay... and what's this South Carolina connection all about as noted by Google, along with references to British and Australian slang and the O.E.D. pointing to the Hebrew word for a "crown"? We're talking, at a minimum, hundreds of years of history whose use today appears to be limited to people who live on the margins of society.

well ive always lived on the marginal edge of society....no clue ur references to s.c. limey/aussie slang or hebrew lexicon...just that when talking bout case money by denominations it means single...i.e. single coin or paper bill, if generically speaking about money n u r in las vegas ur case money is ur money to get home on after u lose all the rest...

@zadok  This is why I have bestowed upon you the honorific, The Great Zadok.

At the card table, it means the last card of a certain value that's left in the deck. 

For example, when three of the aces are 'out', and a player needs an ace, he's trying to catch the 'case ace'.

I always thought case was to differentiate a single as well, but in a slightly different way. For example with a quarter, a case quarter is meant as a whole quarter and not two dimes and a nickel equaling 25 cents. Atleast that’s always been my southern interpretation haha. 

It refers to a single coin of the stated denomination, rather than several coins that together have the same value.

When Spanish/Mexican fractions were circulating it was a request for a single "2 bit" piece (quarter of a peso/dollar) rather than two individual 1/8ths (or 'bits"). In the old usage the implication was that in accepting two 1/8ths, one would receive less silver than in the single quarter of a peso.

It was also used for other denominations when a single coin was desired.

4 hours ago, Woods020 said: I always thought case was to differentiate a single as well, but in a slightly different way. For example with a quarter, a case quarter is meant as a whole quarter and not two dimes and a nickel equaling 25 cents. Atleast that’s always been my southern interpretation haha. 

Or eight 3 cent nickels and a cent?

1 minute ago, VKurtB said: Or eight 3 cent nickels and a cent?

Correct. That would NOT be a case quarter 😂

1 minute ago, Woods020 said: Correct. That would NOT be a case quarter 😂

Was it used in Britain? Where a quarter of a pound sterling was a crown? And a half crown is 2 shillings 6 pence, or  2/6.

27 minutes ago, VKurtB said: Was it used in Britain? Where a quarter of a pound sterling was a crown? And a half crown is 2 shillings 6 pence, or  2/6.

I think the origin has something to do with when coins could be cut to make smaller denominations. My suspicion only and not a fact. In that a “case” anything was one whole coin.  

Now it’s used in examples like the machine will only take a quarter. If I give you two dimes and a nickel will you give me a case quarter. And I’m using quarter for example. It could be case dollar, etc…. Again just my understanding of the meaning. 

6 hours ago, Woods020 said: I always thought case was to differentiate a single as well, but in a slightly different way. For example with a quarter, a case quarter is meant as a whole quarter and not two dimes and a nickel equaling 25 cents. Atleast that’s always been my southern interpretation haha. 

true u be....

3 hours ago, Woods020 said: I think the origin has something to do with when coins could be cut to make smaller denominations. My suspicion only and not a fact. In that a “case” anything was one whole coin.   Now it’s used in examples like the machine will only take a quarter. If I give you two dimes and a nickel will you give me a case quarter. And I’m using quarter for example. It could be case dollar, etc…. Again just my understanding of the meaning. 

In British (and Australian) slang, a "caser" is another name for a "crown" which is a single coin worth five shillings.  As the O.E.D. notes, "caser" in turn might come from the Hebrew word for crown that in Askenazic is pronounced "keser," and also noted that in the early 1990's, some Americans called a dollar a "caser."  What I would really Iike to know is the connection of the use of this slang word or expression to the South, generally, and South Carolina, particularly.

17 minutes ago, Quintus Arrius said: In British (and Australian) slang, a "caser" is another name for a "crown" which is a single coin worth five shillings.  As the O.E.D. notes, "caser" in turn might come from the Hebrew word for crown that in Askenazic is pronounced "keser," and also noted that in the early 1990's, some Americans called a dollar a "caser."  What I would really Iike to know is the connection of the use of this slang word or expression to the South, generally, and South Carolina, particularly.

No clue other than the likely scenario where it was adopted in local lingo from an early settler. South Carolina and it’s ports were a fairly major European trade colony. If it links to British origin I figure it is likely from a settler using the term and it “caught on” with other locals and was engrained as a regional phrase. Lots of local phraseology developed like that. But that is 100% speculation on my part. 

2 hours ago, Quintus Arrius said: also noted that in the early 1990's, some Americans called a dollar a "caser."

...can you identify one, and the context?

18 hours ago, Woods020 said: No clue other than the likely scenario where it was adopted in local lingo from an early settler. South Carolina and it’s ports were a fairly major European trade colony. If it links to British origin I figure it is likely from a settler using the term and it “caught on” with other locals and was engrained as a regional phrase. Lots of local phraseology developed like that. But that is 100% speculation on my part. 

If the O.E.D. dictionary researchers are correct, your speculative powers and ability to narrow a simple expression, not commonly heard in the Northeast United States to one state -- I cannot speak for the rest of the country -- is nothing less than astounding!

16 hours ago, RWB said: ...can you identify one, and the context?

Sorry! The the O.E.D. did not elaboate. (And more importantly I thought it inadviseable to refer you to the source, despite her being billed as a one-time New York Times bestseller, entitled: ""Grammer Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing! authored by Mignon Fogarty, an author of seven other books.  [With one more slip-up, inadvertent or otherwise, the latent coward within me has cautioned me against "inappropriate humor" and permanent banishment lest a pick-of-the-straw" banish me forever. On the Forum, I am only as good as my last comment buttressed, fairly or not, by the whims of nine apparently powerful and influential Windsor-knotted wearing suits wearing fractional gold piece laden cufflinks.]

On 6/17/2021 at 2:02 PM, Quintus Arrius said: Windsor-knotted wearing suits wearing fractional gold piece laden cufflinks.

Oh great. Now I have to accessorize my suit for the ANA banquet differently. I know; I’ll go for the British thruppence cufflinks.

13 minutes ago, VKurtB said: Oh great. Now I have to accessorize my suit for the ANA banquet differently. I know; I’ll go for the British thruppence cufflinks.

As long as your trousers are pegged and your shirt is buttoned down, all is well.  You may dispense with the walking stick as you will need both hands for picture-taking and the wing-tips may be too formal. It appears you are busier in retirement than you were when you were working.  Lot of storm activity; it will be good for you to get away for a spell.

1 hour ago, Quintus Arrius said: As long as your trousers are pegged and your shirt is buttoned down, all is well.  You may dispense with the walking stick as you will need both hands for picture-taking and the wing-tips may be too formal. It appears you are busier in retirement than you were when you were working.  Lot of storm activity; it will be good for you to get away for a spell.

Saturday night was my first “tropical remnant” since moving. We used to describe such rain in Pennsylvania thusly: “It’s raining like a cow [urinating] on a flat rock.”

Depending on the weather patterns in Chicagoland at that time, I may be rocking seersucker.

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Case Quarter in South Carolina

Jennifer in Andrews, South Carolina, is curious about the term case quarter , meaning “a single 25-cent coin — not two dimes and a nickel and not five nickels.” It’s heard mainly in South Carolina, particularly among African-Americans. The origin of case quarter isn’t clear, although it’s been suggested that it derives from French caisse , meaning “cash.” It’s also been suggested that it derives from slang for a British crown, caser , a coin worth five shillings. Caser , in turn, may have come from a Yiddish term, keser , meaning “crown.” Or it could just be that all of the value of that particular amount of money is “encased” in a single coin. Case is applied to other denominations as well, as in case nickel , case dime , and case dollar , each being a single item. This is part of a complete episode .

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case quarter

Definitions, from wiktionary , creative commons attribution/share-alike license..

• noun a single 25 cent coin as opposed to any combination of coins adding up to 25 cents

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Case Quarter Edit Meaning

What is Case Quarter?

In the old days people used dollar coins. Some times they would cut them into 4 parts. (2 bits 4 bits). If someone wanted a dollar coin that was not in pieces, they would say "case dollar".This got refreshed several years ago. When some one walks up to you and they say, "Yo, you gots a case quarter?" most of the time they will have 2 dimes and 1 nickle.

A kid walks up to the person working in an arcade and ask "Yo, you gots a case quarter?" They need a quarter to put into a token machine so they can play a game.

A Black American dialectal term for a twenty-five cent piece. Still in current use in isolated areas: attested often in Middle Georgia.

"Yo gotta case quarter I can borraw?"

A 25-cent piece. NOT a combination of coins equaling 25 cents.

An in-law family member asked if anyone had any 'case quarters,' as he wanted to go to a do-it yourself car wash where the machine would accept only 25-cent pieces. That family has been in the Alexandria, Virginia area since 1763.

See coin , coinage

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case quarter etymology

English word case quarter comes from English caser ((slang, UK) A crown, a five-shilling coin.)

You can also see our other etymologies for the English word case quarter . Currently you are viewing the etymology of case quarter with the meaning: (Noun) A single 25-cent coin, as opposed to any combination of coins adding up to 25 cents.A single 25-cent coin, as opposed to any combination of coins adding up to 25 cents

Detailed word origin of case quarter

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