Penny bun
Encyclopedia
A penny bun or a penny loaf was a small bread bun
or loaf
which cost one old penny
at the time when there were 240 pence to the pound. A penny loaf was a common size loaf of bread in England
regulated by the Assize of Bread Act of 1266. However, the cost of the loaf could vary depending on the amount of flour that had been used in the baking. The nursery rhyme
London Bridge Is Falling Down
has a version which includes the line "Build it up with penny loaves".
The expression 'Penny bun' is Cockney
rhyming slang for one, sun and son. 'Penny bun' is also the nickname
for the Cep, or Boletus edulis
, an edible basidiomycete mushroom
which is a member of the Boletaceae (Bolete) family of mushrooms. Native to Europe and North America, it is Europe's second most sought-after fungus
after truffles.
'Cockle to a penny bun' is British
slang
for racing odds of 10 to 1.
Bun
A bun is a small, usually sweet, bread. Commonly they are hand-sized or smaller, domed in shape, with a flat bottom. A bun can also be a savory bread roll similar to a bap or barmcake....
or loaf
Loaf
A loaf is a shape, usually rounded or oblong, mass of food. It may refer to a bread, or meatloaf.The term "loaf" sometimes refers to "head" from the rhyming slang "loaf of bread" ....
which cost one old penny
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
at the time when there were 240 pence to the pound. A penny loaf was a common size loaf of bread in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
regulated by the Assize of Bread Act of 1266. However, the cost of the loaf could vary depending on the amount of flour that had been used in the baking. The nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge is Falling Down
"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 502.-Lyrics:...
has a version which includes the line "Build it up with penny loaves".
The expression 'Penny bun' is Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
rhyming slang for one, sun and son. 'Penny bun' is also the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
for the Cep, or Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis, commonly known as penny bun, porcino or cep, is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere, although it has been...
, an edible basidiomycete mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
which is a member of the Boletaceae (Bolete) family of mushrooms. Native to Europe and North America, it is Europe's second most sought-after fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
after truffles.
'Cockle to a penny bun' is British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for racing odds of 10 to 1.