Does this irritate you?
By Memnon
@Memnon (2170)
November 17, 2010 3:09am CST
I was watching Law and Order: Special Victims Unit a few days ago, and noticed something that has often niggled me about US productions. At what I guess we in the UK would call a bail hearing, a judge set the accused bail of $X,000. The accused made a comment to the effect that she would pay this amount, and "not a penny more".
I have noted this in other programs too- "I'm paid $X,000 a year, and earn every penny".
Surely it should be cent, not penny. Have you noticed this, and does it annoy you too? Why do they do it?
Imagine me haggling at the local market- "I'll pay £3 for that, and not a cent more". I'd be looked at as if I had lost the plot!
Or is it just me being pedantic? 
1 person likes this
5 responses
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
17 Nov 10
Here one cent and one penny are meant as the same thing. I guess that's why they put that in their dialogue. I also presume this is why it does not bother me when they say this except for the fact...how many people are going to argue with a judge? I sure won't.
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
17 Nov 10
I'm the same way when I see they have messed up like they have on a different color or type of clothes than they had one just a second ago and they are not suppose to. Or other things have been moved and not where they were a second ago. Things like that.
They use to give people money for letting them know things like this that they noticed. I don't know if they still do this or not.
Maybe I should check into this next time I see something wrong. lol
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
18 Nov 10
Technically the coin is a one cent piece but penny is easier to say. A five cent piece is called a nickle becase that is what it used to be made of. A 10 cent piece is a dime. 25 and 50 cent pieces are quarters and halves of a dollar. There used to be other coins, teo, three, and 20 cent coins but they never caught on and never got nicknames..
@oldchem1 (8132)
•
17 Nov 10
I have heard Americans using the term 'penny'a lot and I think that it is a word that they use for a cent, but NO - I've found this!
[i]The penny is a US coin worth one cent. One hundred pennies make a dollar. One cent can be written 1¢ or $0.01.
The US penny was named after the British penny. Pennies are copper plated zinc and have a smooth edge. The penny is 19.05 mm in diameter and is 1.55 mm thick.
The first US penny was minted in 1787; it was pure copper and was designed by Benjamin Franklin. The first Lincoln penny was issued in 1909, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. This was the first US coin to picture a President; it replaced the "Indian Head" penny. In 1943, the Lincoln penny was made of steel (with a zinc coating) because copper was needed for military use in World War II.
There are about 150 billion US pennies in circulation today. [/i]
From this website http://www.enchantedlearning.com/math/money/coins/penny/
@gnomeland (421)
•
17 Nov 10
hi, i liked your observation it made me laugh as my husband is always commenting on little things like this too. me though, i think that lots of sayings have come 'across the pond' and also a lot of brits watch Law and order and are probably involved in the production of this great programme.
