Folklore: I'll bet you 23-80. What's it mean?

Subject: Folklore: I'll bet you 23-80. What's it mean?
From: Cool Beans
Date: 18 Jun 07 - 03:47 PM

It's heard several times in the first Nancy Drew movie, released in 1938. It's a way of saying something is a sure bet, like "Dollars to donuts," but what's the significance of the numbers?

Subject: RE: Folklore: I'll bet you 23-80. What's it mean?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 Jun 07 - 06:49 PM

Some possible answers, specific to Nancy Drew, at Yahoo Answers.

It appears to be a specific "in joke" in the novels.(?)

John

Subject: RE: Folklore: I'll bet you 23-80. What's it mean?
From: Peace
Date: 18 Jun 07 - 06:55 PM

"The characters often say '23 80', which refers to the $23.80 fixed weekly payment to WPA workers; so if you bet '23 80', you are betting a lot."

"Just a quick note. Love the old slang. Watching the film the term 23 80 (twenty-three eighty) was used a lot by the characters.

Did some reseach and it appears that this was the average check paid by the WPA, Depression Era Federal Program.

Found citation re:google books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jOo3axOy-yoC&pg=PA236&ots=L4cYinkfsU&dq=%22twenty+three+eighty%22+slang&sig=CKAAUp_BsOeoM6zJgssrof2pUDE

regards."

Found them on the 'net.

Subject: RE: Folklore: I'll bet you 23-80. What's it mean?
From: Cool Beans
Date: 18 Jun 07 - 07:10 PM

Thanks, gentlemen! Mudcat comes through again.