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Something super inexpensive is said to be cheaper than dirt.  That means not only cheap, but incredibly cheap.  It’s not easy to locate a deal of that nature.  It’s even cheaper than dirt cheap which is in itself very inexpensive.

cheaper than dirt

Etymology is the study of the origin of words.  Words come from everywhere.  A lot of English words and phrases date back to ancient Rome and Greece.  Some words derive from Old English words which derived from Latin.  It’s an interesting study.  Cheaper than dirt has its own origin .

Some words or phrases actually reversed in meaning over time.  There was a time when a girl was a little male or female child.  People later used it to slander adults – suggesting they were child like.  Then it took on the modern meaning of a young woman.  The big change happened in 1530.  Its meaning as a term for sweetheart dates back to about 1648.  It’s used in the phrase girlfriend after about 1892.  Its Greek origin is a word for virgin.  It makes sense to use it to describe young single people.

cheaper than dirt com

On to the etymology of cheaper than dirt.  The expression dates back to ancient times. It denoted something that had no value, and therefore no price.  There was a similar phrase dirt cheap.  Strictly speaking people expect it to be even cheaper than dirt.  Up to 1860 people said dog cheap.

In history sometimes even dirt isn’t cheaper than dirt. It is common for people in Haiti to travel to the Dominican Republic to steal dirt .  Hitler hijacked dirt shipments in the Ukrain.  He used it for gardens.  That was because he knew more food would be needed to feed the people.

If you ever need to purchase soil, you know it isn’t really cheaper than dirt.  In fact soil can be quite expensive.  Some companies have taken advantage of the name to denote that they offer bargain prices for soil and other gardening products.  One of these calls itself the Dirt Cheap Mulch Company and even offers dirt via the web.

cheaper then dirt

Next time you hear the phrase cheaper than dirt you’ll have some idea what it means.

http://dirtcrazy.com/