I just got an e-mail from an Aussie friend, who said he'll be renting his house at a "peppercorn rate". I think he meant cheaply, but where did this expression come from, do you know?

Yep - in the Middle Ages in Britain, pepper was actually quite an expensive spice. However, to pay just one pepper corn (from which pepper is ground) was still a lot less than most rents, so the lease or agreement drawn up between friends, with one making a gift to the other for whatever reason, but to make it a truly legal contract, the rent was one pepper corn per year. Other commodities were used, as well, for the same reason, to ake a contract legally binding.

Interesting; thanks.

Peppercorn price. We still have standing expressions such as 'for a peppered price' or 'as expensive as pepper', meaning really extra expensive.
(no mention of a single corn saying)

Makes sense, Bran - in the C17 and C18, the Dutch were the main importers of spices from their connections in the East Indies and other places in the Far East.

I'm sure many of the traders and common sailors slipped a few unaccounted for corns into their pockets.

Didn't their sneezing then give them away?

Until ground it's not likely a problem. Like an onion that's perfectly fine until you start to peel or slice it, then, WAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Oh man, what is the name of that chemical in onions? I was just trying to think of it the other day.

Sulphur. Compound of the whole Genus Allium. Antidiabolic, antivampiric, antianything that isn't good for your health.

Link

Oh.....my own thread title, and I missed it. Strewth!

And Rhuby is correct with his meaning, of course. Aussies have adopted a lot of English sayings from colonial days, I guess.