The idiomatic expression “a dime a dozen” means that something is common, not expensive, and easily available and, as such, has no value or is not unique. It is very much used when talking about things, persons, or situations that are plentiful and unremarkable, in which their value has been reduced by their being so common. For example, the phrase goes like this in a competitive field: “Graphic designers are a dime a dozen,” implying that they are so ample it is hard for a person to be different from the rest. The phrase suggests over-sufficiency mostly with an air of dismissiveness or disregard.
Origin of “A Dime A Dozen”
The idiom “a dime a dozen” originated in the United States in the early part of the 19th century, similar to those times when certain merchandise was sold at very low prices by the dozen. It originally denoted things sold by ten cents for a dozen: eggs, apples, and other rather common products. The mid-1800s saw this phrase take its first connotation as a common idiomatic expression meaning, anything abundant or handy having little or no monetary value, whatsoever.
The word “dime” is a part of the expression because of the importance of the coin in American currency, relating to the reasonability of price and accessibility. Later, the idiom lost its literal meaning and developed a more figurative sense, often with a tone of dismissiveness or criticism.
Nowadays, it is very common in English to stress how unremarkable something is, an example of how language changes according to changes in the economy and culture.
The Shakespeare Connection
Though the phrase “a dime a dozen” does not have its direct roots in Shakespeare, the very concept is well reflected in the themes of his works. Shakespeare rather frequently discussed such notions as cost, rarity, and abundance in his plays and sonnets. For example, Hamlet says, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” which speaks to a world full of ideas and phenomena. Similarly, the irony of Rosalind in As You Like It: “Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love” serves to belittle experiences that are common enough.
Shakespeare often put the mundane together with the fantastical, an idea that underpins “a dime a dozen.” His way with words, either in praise of the everyday or to slight it, echoes how the idiom lets down that which is unremarkable. The phrase may be modern, but the feeling is not too far from what Shakespeare expresses on value and ordinariness.
A dime a dozen
“A Dime A Dozen” in the Media
The phrase “a dime a dozen” is quite common in every field of media to refer to something existing in plenty or having no individuality. From literature to cinema, advertising, journalism, social media, songs, and everything that can be visually expressed, it has been used with much dexterity to point out the contrast between individuality and mass production.
Literature
The phrase often comes into novel and short story dialogues and narrations meant to belittle something common. For instance, in Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective novels, the world-weary protagonist would refer cynically to these criminals or corrupt officials as a dime a dozen. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the characters can use the saying to describe those bootleggers or social climbers of the jazz age.
Film & Television
Hollywood scripts frequently use the idiom to emphasize characters’ jaded perspectives. In Casablanca (1942), Rick Blaine says, “beautiful women are a dime a dozen,” given his detached demeanour. More recently, in crime dramas like Breaking Bad, a drug kingpin dismisses low-level dealers as “a dime a dozen,” reinforcing power dynamics. Sitcoms also employ the phrase humorously—Friends could have used it to joke about failed relationships.
Advertisements
Though the phrase is commonly used to mean something is not unique, advertisers often use the term in reverse many times to designate exclusivity. Commercials for high-end products brag, “Not a dime a dozen!” referring to rarity. For example, high-end watch companies or specific car dealers utilize such phrasing to distinguish their uniqueness against mass market competitors.
Newspapers & Journalism
One can almost imagine the journalists repeating this for meaning over-saturation in business, politics, and even in trends in culture. Headlines such as “Political Scandals Are a Dime a Dozen These Days” insinuate that people have become inured to corruption. Similarly, an entertainment column might lament, “Superhero movies are a dime a dozen in Hollywood.”
Social Media
Most commonly, “adime a dozen” refers to something happening on Twitter or TikTok: humorous or ironic. A meme will go viral, saying something like, “Instagram influencers? —a dime a dozen,” simply to tease the amount of personalities that are flowing from social media. Sometimes #NotADimeADozen is used with hashtags for individuality.
Music & Art
The idiom is used both literally and metaphorically by musicians and songwriters alike. Country and blues songs might lament love lost with, “good men ain’t a dime a dozen.” In visual art, pop artists like Andy Warhol played with the theme of mass production and though he did not use the phrase explicitly, his repetitive imagery of Campbell’s soup cans embodies its meaning.
Ultimately, “a dime a dozen” is an idiom of power and flexibility, shaping the narratives across media by commenting on the tension between mass appeal and uniqueness.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!