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Pin moneyMeaningOriginally a small allowance given to a woman in order to purchase clothes etc. for herself. More recently it is used to describe any small amount of money which might be earned by children or the low-paid for some service. Origin
The first explicit mention of 'pin money' is in John Dryden's comedy Amphitryon, or the two Sosias, 1690:
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The earlier usage is quite old and is alluded to in the 16th century in The Testamenta Eboracensia - A Selection of Wills from the Registry at York, 1542:
