h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

McD's has come under fire for referring to a pound as a bob in a new advert:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100124/tuk-mcdonald-s-pounded-over-bob-menu-adv-45dbed5.html

Part of the article reads: <>

I've never once heard anyone call a pound a bob - has anyone else?

Deb

Nope, never. Still means a shilling to me

I do - not often, but still use it occasionally. There's the saying that "[X] is as bent as a nine-bob note" that I use fairly frequently too.

Never heard of it being a £ to be honest.

It's McFlippingDonalds for heavens sake. They don't even know how to cook hamburgers.

Some disaffected ad man working his notice just stichted them up.

Bit of a storm in a teacup isn't it?

Well, I know a bob is supposed to equate to 5p these days, but strangely enough I think my gran does sometimes use it to mean a pound. I'll have to check about that though.

I found a ten bob note when young, it was a lot then(50p).

Ah, kzwg. 5p, x 20 = 100p = 1 pound. 20 shillings to a pound...

Oh, but...

Just spoken to the old girl, and she can confirm that a bob would mean a shilling and only a shilling. Never a pound. "You can`t mess around with money. It`s far too important," she said.

>> Some disaffected ad man working his notice just stichted them up.

I like that idea, and it seems highly plausible to me. Wouldn't be the first time a Brit with a sense of humour took the whatsit out of gullible Americans. There's the whole "Spy who shagged me" thing not to mention "Free Willy". But my favourite was when the girl group "Wild Honey" wanted a new name and asked George Harrison who suggested that they rename themselves "Fanny" for their debut single under their new name they covered Cream's "Badge".

I wonder what Americans would think if McDonald`s released an ad saying `a dime, also known as a dollar`...

"Wouldn't be the first time a Brit with a sense of humour took the whatsit out of gullible Americans."

I don't suppose McDonald's will mind too much, though - they are worth a bob or two, after all.

I'm slightly amused that they try to convince everyone that they are right and everyone else is using the word wrongly.

No, never, a pound is a quid.

Never heard of a 5p referred to as a bob either, as the article suggested. As said above, a bob means a shilling and only a shilling. As the shilling hasn't existed since 1973 (I think) the term 'bob' is no longer even used.

McDonald's might just as well of said "the pound, also known as a tom, dick or harry"

Emmily

We've been about that ad since it came out. It's not difficult, is it, since even in the Ad-world there must be people who can actually remember pre-decimal money.

Or maybe they really have banned everyone over 30...

P'raps they mean Big Macs at a bob a pound? Pretty good offer, eh?

I've heard people refer to a quid as a bob. Not very often but it does happen.


Seems a strange thing to get all worked up about. Storm in a teacup indeed.

In 50 years of life in this country I've never heard a quid referred to as a bob.

After all who could forget the old Cub's bob-a-job week..and any Cub getting a quid a job would have been amazed and out of work....

I quote "As with many words in the English language, the technical meaning of words can change over time and although the word remains in use, what it signifies may develop into something else.""

"May develop into something else"!!!!!!!!!!! Yes very likely it will if some multi national decides to run blanket advertising aimed at young people for long enough.

After all McDonalds have already persuaded a high proportion of under 40's that their burgers are edible.