What does it mean to take the Queens shilling?

British archaic. to enlist in the army.

What does the slang word shilling mean?

A shill is a hustler or con-person who tries to convince other people to buy something or think something is great (shilling). The shill has ulterior motives for their actions, usually because they are the actual seller or have something to gain if the product sells well.

When did the Queens shilling stop?

1879
The practice officially stopped in 1879, although the term is still used informally and there are some cases of it being used still in the early 20th century, albeit largely symbolically.

Is shilling an English word?

The word shilling comes from Old English “Scilling”, a monetary term meaning twentieth of a pound, from the Proto-Germanic root skiljaną meaning ‘to separate, split, divide’, from (s)kelH- meaning ‘to cut, split.

What does it mean if you take the king’s coin you give the king his due?

The phrase “If you take the king’s coin, you give the king his due” means that when you work somewhere, you have to do your best even if you dislike it or you don’t like the work environment or your boss. Powell shares this message to emphasize the importance of his work ethic.

What does shilling mean in Old English?

: an old British coin equal to ¹/₂₀ pound. More from Merriam-Webster on shilling.

What is a paid shill?

Word forms: shills If you refer to someone as a shill, you mean that they are paid to sell something or to participate in an activity in order to persuade others to buy or participate.

What does shilling mean in Britain?

12 pence
Definition of shilling 1a : a former monetary unit of the United Kingdom equal to 12 pence or ¹/₂₀ pound. b : a former monetary unit equal to ¹/₂₀ pound of any of various countries in or formerly in the Commonwealth of Nations. 2 : a coin representing one shilling.

How much is a British shilling?

twelve pence
The shilling (1/- or 1s.) was a coin worth one twentieth of a pound sterling, or twelve pence.

What was meant by the king’s shilling?

Definition of king’s shilling : a shilling whose acceptance by a recruit from a recruiting officer constituted until 1879 a binding enlistment in the British army —used when the British monarch is a king he’s taken the king’s shilling.

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