The phrase “a dime a dozen” means that something is very common and of no particular value. It is used to describe things that are easy to find or obtain, and that are not very special or interesting. For example, you could say that “books like this are a dime a dozen” to express that the book is not very original or exciting.
The origin of the idiom dates back to the 18th century, when a dime was a new coin and people could buy a dozen of some goods for a dime. This was considered a good deal at the time, but later the phrase changed its meaning to imply that something was cheap and easy to find.
Some synonyms for “a dime a dozen” are tedious, dull, monotonous, repetitious, and repetitive. Some antonyms are interesting, rare, infrequent, uncommon, and unique.
Some examples of how to use “a dime a dozen” in sentences are:
- During apple season, apples around here go for a dime a dozen. You can get them anywhere.
- Nuts and bolts are a dime a dozen, so the carpenter doesn’t worry when he loses these cheap things at the shop.
- Those cheap little metal cars are a dime a dozen. You can get them anywhere.
- Good designers are two a penny, but great designers are worth their weight in gold.
- Violence was rife throughout the city. Stories like hers were a dime a dozen.
