it's actually 'a dime a dozen' - a phrase that began as a way to tout good value for the money evolved into a phrase that means something nearly worthless by virtue of its commonness and easy availability. but by virtue of inflation, from the eighteenth century when it was first coined to the present, it should now be a quarter a dozen.
when i first came to canada, i would encounter panhandlers who'd be begging for 'spare change'. it used to be that whatever you gave them, they appreciated and they're happy and would move on to the next person. in thirty years, it had gradually changed, from spare change to "can you spare a dollar" and nowadays, it's 'do you have five dollars to spare' sometimes in an threatening tone.
apparently, it's a very lucrative business, this panhandling thing. several years ago, there was an exposé in our local newspaper about an old woman panhandler dubbed 'the shaky lady'. the journalist observed her for days and found out that at the end of the day, she would walk (normally, no shakes, no limp) to a secluded side street where she would be picked up by a very expensive SUV. the journalist even followed her to where she lived in a condo building with leather furniture appointment and big flat screen TV. another journalist did an experiment, posing as a panhandler for two weeks. on slow days he netted an easy $300 a day but there were days when the take home pay was more than $500.
in the late 1990's when i started writing, my first published short story was about a homeless man panhandling the streets of downtown toronto. it was inspired by a man i saw in the underground path who was dressed rather casually but looked dejected. he had beautiful blue eyes and that's how i noticed him. he had a sign that he was "laid off and he needed a job, any job and any help would be appreciated". a year later i saw him in another part of the city, still panhandling but he had gained weight. the last time i went to the office, i walked the underground again and saw him, older now, and much more rotund but still panhandling.
for the record, i never give any money, change or otherwise, to panhandlers but i would readily part with my $5 to a busker, terrible or good. my logic is i worked hard for every dollar that i have in my pocket, do something to earn that dollar, too. also for the record, i am very generous when donating to food banks and other charities that i know do a lot for those who actually need charity.
I am with you about giving money to panhandlers. I sometimes go to Timmy's and buy a muffin and drop it off on the way by if someone looks really hungry.
@farmreporter - i used to do that, too. when i lived near downtown i would always walk to the office and would pass by quite a few panhandlers. if someone says he's hungry and he looks hungry then i'd go to the nearby mcdonalds and buy him a sandwich and a coffee. but there was one time my friends and i had lunch and this young girl with us didn't finish her pizza and she had it wrapped up for 'the guy at the corner'. when she gave it to him, he threw it back at her and said he's not eating nobody's f***ing leftover. that's how my stance on these panhandlers had evolved over the years.
March 16th, 2022
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Fab nailed the challenge