ten a penny
Worthless from abundance
Ten a penny describes something so common as to be nearly worthless.
The phrase suggests abundance to the point of cheapness—if you can get ten for a penny, each one has little value.
British in origin, it typically applies to people or things that seem plentiful: Aspiring actors are ten a penny in London.
The American equivalent is "a dime a dozen."
- cheapLow in price
- abundantExisting in great quantity
- inexpensiveLow in cost
- dime storeDiscount variety retailer
- worthlessLacking any value
plentiful · everyday · commonplace · run of the mill · garden variety · insignificant · dime a dozen · workaday · paltry · small change · frequent · ordinary · cheap as chips · unremarkable · thick on the ground · trivial · negligible · tuppenny
ten a pennyrare
Seldom found or seen
scarce · hard to come by · few and far between · thin on the ground · in short supply
ten a pennyprecious
Highly esteemed, greatly valued
priceless · valuable · invaluable · prized · treasured
ten a pennyone of a kind
Utterly without equal
unique · one in a million · exceptional · singular · extraordinary