phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

The tooth fairy

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on October 10, 2005

In Reply to: The tooth fairy posted by David FG on October 10, 2005

: : : I came across a certain expression while watching "Doctors" on BBC, when one woman tells another that she won't "cough up a pound to the tooth fairy". I would like to know if this phrase is current in English or if it is specific to the situation portrayed in the chapter I viewed? I didn't find any mention of this expression during my search on the net and will be grateful for your assistance if possible.

: : I assume the expression bothering you is "tooth fairy," not "pound" or "cough up." So you must be of the English persuasion. In the U.S., since some time LONG after my childhood in the last millennium, it became customary to reward children who had lost one of their baby teeth with a quarter (that is, $0.25) if they would leave the tooth under their pillow. Mom would substitute the quarter for the tooth, and say that the tooth fairy had been there. I personally have never seen this done, so someone else may have better information. Are English mothers that generous with the tooth fairy? A pound seems an awful lot. SS

:
: You cheapskate Smokey! A pound is the bare minimum amount of currency any child would expect. As the father of a three-year-old I speak as one who knows.

: DFG

The going rate in Shawnee is a buck. But then there was the time my older boy lost a tooth in Montreal, and due to currency fluctuations the Canadian tooth fairy left him a "toony" (C$2).

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.