"A baker's dozen" is an idiom that means 13 of something, usually baked goods. It implies that the baker is giving you one extra item for free or as a goodwill gesture.
In short:
- It is an idiom that means 13 of something, usually baked goods.
- It is often used to express generosity, abundance, or a bonus.
"A baker's dozen" means a group or set of 13 items, especially loaves of bread, cakes, or pastries. It implies that the baker gives you one extra thing for free or as a goodwill gesture. For example, buying a dozen donuts from a bakery might get 13 instead of 12. That would be a baker's dozen.
The origin of the phrase "a baker's dozen" dates back to medieval times, when strict laws were regulating the weight and quality of bread. Bakers often added an extra loaf to their batches of 12 loaves to avoid being accused of fraud. This extra loaf was called the "vantage loaf," as it served as a cushion or insurance in case other loaves were too light. It also represented the retailer's profit or the customer's bonus. The phrase developed figuratively through the years to mean any collection or quantity of 13 things unrelated to baking.
The phrase "a baker's dozen" first appeared in print in 1599, in a play called Tu Quoque by John Cooke. In the play, a character says:
"Mine's a baker's dozen: Master Bubble, tell your money."
Here are some examples of how to use the phrase in sentences:
This idiom has also been used in various forms of popular culture, such as:
If you want to use a different expression than "a baker's dozen" to mean 13 of something, you can try some of these synonyms:
Here are some frequently asked questions about this idiom:
"A baker's dozen" is an idiom that means 13 of something, usually baked goods. It implies that the baker is giving you one extra item for free or as a goodwill gesture.
The origin of the phrase "a baker's dozen" dates back to medieval times, when strict laws were regulating the weight and quality of bread. Bakers often added an extra loaf to their batches of 12 loaves to avoid being accused of fraud.
You can use a baker's dozen in a sentence as a noun phrase that follows a determiner (such as a, the, my, your, etc.) or a number (such as one, two, three, etc.).
"A baker's dozen" is 13 items, while a regular dozen is 12 items.
"A baker's dozen" is called "a baker's dozen" because it originated from bakers adding an extra loaf of bread to their batches of 12 loaves to avoid being punished for selling underweight bread.
"A baker's dozen" is usually 13, but sometimes it can be 14, depending on the baker's generosity or the loaves' size.
"A baker's dozen" is mainly used for baked goods, but it can also be used figuratively for anything in groups or sets of 13.
"A baker's dozen" is usually a cheerful expression, implying generosity, abundance, or a bonus. However, it can also be used humorously or ironically for something unlucky or unpleasant, such as a devil's dozen or a witch's dozen.
You can write "a baker's dozen" in numbers as 13 or 14, depending on how many items are included.
Spanish: "una docena de panadero"
French: "une douzaine de boulanger"
German: "ein Bäckerdutzend"
"A baker's dozen" is an idiom that means 13 of something, usually baked goods. It originated from a medieval practice of bakers adding an extra loaf to avoid being punished for selling underweight bread.
More key points to remember about this idiom:
