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Ten to the dozen

Posted by Smokey Stover on January 10, 2006

In Reply to: Ten to the dozen posted by Karen on January 09, 2006

: I am trying to find out the meaning of the phrase "ten to the dozen", refering to speed, like when people say a child is "running fast and his little legs were going ten to the dozen". I thought it meant they were going really fast but 10 to the dozen seems inefficient to me. Can anyone explain? And the origin of the saying? Thanks.

A more frequently heard and more logical phrase is "sixteen to the dozen." I've never heard "ten to the dozen." SS

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