Nine pence or nine pennies

Lance_in_Shanghai · Feb 22, 2008

British only need reply:
Would a British man who has 9 coins in his pocket, each one a penny, say, "I have nine pence," or "I have nine pennies."

JoNightshade · Feb 22, 2008

You'd say pence, but I think a good number of British people would just say "nine P."

(I'm not British but I lived in London for a while. Correct me if I'm wrong...)

Shweta · Feb 22, 2008

I'd say 9p, yes. Nine pence sounds a little like it's part of a math(s) question. And I'd only say nine pennies if they weren't British pennies, or if someone was asking about the coins themselves.

"In my collection, I have a Charles and Di wedding coin, a farthing, and nine old pennies."

Also not British, but went to British schools and lived in Aberdeen.

Lance_in_Shanghai · Feb 22, 2008

I'm aware of the slang form "p" for both penny and pence. I want to determine if "pennies" is accepted by any British as a real word.

Since the man in my example has been given only the two choices, I will keep my gun at his head until he chooses one or the other and not the slang form, p. Are there any British out there who will kindly give me an answer as to which is the correct plural for a number of one penny coins in British English?

I will try a bit harder to paint you into a corner on this one. Let's suppose he has taken the nine coins from his pocket and balanced one each on nine eggs. Could he say, "I have nine pennies balanced"?

I wish to repeat my request for only British to reply as it keeps the number of replies down so it doesn't appear that the question has been definitively answered-- which it hasn't.

aruna · Feb 22, 2008

hmmm.
Automatically I thought 9p. But if that is not an option I see it this way:
If he is talking about individual coins, he would say pennies, as in your example.
If he is speaking of their monetary value, he would say pence.

Shweta · Feb 22, 2008

Lance_in_Shanghai said:
Since the man in my example has been given only the two choices, I will keep my gun at his head until he chooses one or the other and not the slang form, p. Are there any British out there who will kindly give me an answer as to which is the correct plural for penny in British English?

Well, since natively speaking the language isn't enough for you, and since neither is not a good enough answer either, I'll leave it to the British to answer.

It would still, probably, be useful if you could provide the actual context in which you want your answer. Both plurals are used, in different context.

Bo Sullivan · Feb 23, 2008

Hi,

I'm British and I would say pence. I hope this helps.

Barbara

Stacia Kane · Feb 23, 2008

My MIL has used both. She was born here and still lives here.

Sandi LeFaucheur · Feb 23, 2008

If he's talking about what type of coins he has, he might well say pennies. If he's talking about the amount of money he has, he'd say pence.

Yes, I'm English, living in Canada. I've spent roughly half my life in either place, if it makes a difference.

dpaterso · Feb 23, 2008

Lance_in_Shanghai said:
I will try a bit harder to paint you into a corner on this one. Let's suppose he has taken the nine coins from his pocket and balanced one each on nine eggs. Could he say, "I have nine pennies balanced"?

Yeah that's acceptable. As objects, they are unquestionably pennies.

In reference to item price or money transaction, I wouldn't say "pennies" unless I were talking to a child. "Don't worry kid, mommy's just earning you extra pennies while daddy's away at sea, close the door on your way out."

-Derek

seun · Feb 23, 2008

dpaterso said:
Yeah that's acceptable. As objects, they are unquestionably pennies.

In reference to item price or money transaction, I wouldn't say "pennies" unless I were talking to a child. "Don't worry kid, mommy's just earning you extra pennies while daddy's away at sea, close the door on your way out."

-Derek

That is deeply disturbing. I like it.

This depends on the context. 9p (or pee if you prefer) would be the most likely answer. The only time I really hear pennies would be a more pleasant version of Derek's example.

And I have to ask, why does your character have exactly 9p in his pocket?

dpaterso · Feb 23, 2008

seun said:
And I have to ask, why does your character have exactly 9p in his pocket?

D'oh, because he has nine eggs! Weren't you listening?

-Derek

seun · Feb 23, 2008

dpaterso said:
D'oh, because he has nine eggs! Weren't you listening?

-Derek

I bet Cool Hand Luke is shitting himself.

girlyswot · Feb 23, 2008

Does he have nine pennies in his pocket or does he have, say, a 5p piece, a 2p piece and a couple of pennies? If you want the monetary value, it's definitely 9p or nine pence (and probably 9p). If the point is that he has nine separate 1p coins, then you'd say nine pennies.

Girlyswot (who despite her location is British through and through).

Sandi LeFaucheur · Feb 23, 2008

girlyswot said:
Does he have nine pennies in his pocket or does he have, say, a 5p piece, a 2p piece and a couple of pennies? If you want the monetary value, it's definitely 9p or nine pence (and probably 9p). If the point is that he has nine separate 1p coins, then you'd say nine pennies.

Girlyswot (who despite her location is British through and through).

The original question indicated he has nine coins, each a penny.

pdr · Feb 23, 2008

And as an aged relic...

I would remind you sweet young things that before decimalisation a person with nine pennies in his pocket would have called them ninepence in a monetary sense, and nine pennies as individual coins.
And I'd still say ninepence and not nine pee! I'm polite, as are others of my generation and older.

IceCreamEmpress · Feb 23, 2008

Not British, but in my experience of same, that man's answer to "How much money do you have in your pocket?" would be either "Ninepence" or "Nine p"; his answer to "What coins do you have in your pocket?" would be "Nine pennies."

The answer to "What coins do you have in your pocket?" would never be "Nine pence." "Pence" is only the plural of "penny" in referring to a financial, rather than a physical, total.

Carmy · Feb 23, 2008

Ninepence.

The term "p" (as in 9p) came into use only when the monetary system was changed in the 70s.

dpaterso · Feb 24, 2008

Once upon a time I might have used "ninepence" too, but the monetary value is so insignificant now (what can you buy for 9p?) I'd probably say "Just some loose change."

-Derek

Snowberry · Feb 24, 2008

I'd probably say 9p, in one-p coins, to be precise. But pdr is right, it may be an age-related thing, I expect my father would say ninepence (given that he still says tuppence and thruppence).

pdr · Feb 24, 2008

And I still...

miss farthings and ha'pennies, silver thrupences and the groat!

Zelenka · Feb 24, 2008

It might depend on the regional origin and age of the person too. If he's older he might well say 'ninepence'. That'd also be quite common in London / Essex area (when I lived down south, that's the way a lot of my collegues referred to loose change). 'Earning some pennies' or 'saving your pennies' makes me think of Scotland in particular as I haven't heard that anywhere else really. Also up here in Scotland I've heard people say things like, 'I've got nine penny-pieces', just to confuse things further

But other than that, if he's talking about individual coins, then pennies, or if it's the value then 9p or nine pence, like everyone else has said.

And that's from a Brit.

ascribe · Feb 25, 2008

Just throwing in my 2p's worth as a Brit.

He would balance nine pennies.

aruna · Feb 25, 2008

I remember shillings and half-crowns. That does date me!

pdr · Feb 25, 2008

You've forgotten...

florins too, Aruna.
Ah, those were the days! When saving your pennies (a very Yorkshire exptresssion too, Jess.) meant real savings and a tanner (sixpence) bought a huge bag of scrumptious Yorkshire Humbugs!

Nine pence or nine pennies

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