How to use this phrase
“Starter for ten” is correctly used to suggest that a topic should receive more discussion or thought. It’s a way of acknowledging an idea or a point made by someone, but also hinting that it’s not fully formed or complete. For instance, in a brainstorming session, if someone presents a preliminary idea, you might respond with:-
That’s a real Starter for ten, but let’s explore it further.
Origin of “Starter for ten”
The origin of “Starter for ten” traces back to the UK game show “University Challenge”. In this show, contestants are presented with a starter question followed by nine others. The starter question is worth ten points, hence the term “Starter for ten.” This format is particularly popular in the UK and has led to the phrase being adopted in everyday language, especially in UK and Australian English. The usage of the term has expanded, partly due to social media, where it is often used to indicate that a subject is up for discussion.
Phrase trend in print
Here we see the frequency of the phrase “Starter for ten” in printed sources over time.
Here we see the frequency of the phrase “Starter for ten” in printed sources over time.