Mudcat Café message #3486255

The Mudcat Café ^TM
Thread #149754 Message #3486255
Posted By: GUEST,Jack Sprocket
04-Mar-13 - 12:10 PM
Thread Name: BS: Why is the British pound called a quid?
Subject: RE: BS: Why is the British pound called a quid?

But the term predates the use of pound notes in Britain by over a hundred years, and the use of any banknotes here by dozens of years.

As for the chewing quid, that may well have a completely separate origin: it's etymologically the same word as 'cud'.