Meaning
Thirteen items rather than the usual twelve; a group or quantity of thirteen. It is used when something comes in an unexpectedly generous count, and it survives mainly as a slightly jocular, mildly dated expression. Informal and slightly whimsical in tone, mostly heard in playful or journalistic contexts rather than technical counting. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The expression is recorded in English from 1614, in John Cook's comedy 'Greenes Tuquoque', where a character says 'Mine's a Bakers dozen'. The older phrase 'thirteen to the dozen' appears even earlier, in 1588. The customary practice behind it is documented in medieval and early modern trade records: the 1419 Liber Albus and 1598 Hull bakers' statutes describe bakers adding a thirteenth loaf (called 'inbread' or the 'vantage of bread') when a dozen was sold. Two explanations are offered for the custom: bakers insured themselves against harsh penalties for selling underweight bread at a time when loaf weights were fixed by law, and wholesale bakers gave retailers a thirteenth batch as their profit margin. Both may have operated; the evidence confirms the custom, not which motive predominated.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- a baker's dozen of
- bakers dozen
- long dozen
- thirteen to the dozen
Usage Examples
- The bakery threw in an extra bagel, so we ended up with a baker's dozen.
- She invited a baker's dozen of colleagues to the farewell lunch.
- Our team fielded a baker's dozen of volunteers for the river cleanup.