Thomas Jefferson

plural Thomas Jeffersons

1. A United States two-dollar bill featuring Thomas Jefferson.

   Well, I just tipped mine two dollars a day for three days, in nice, crisp Thomas Jeffersons.

   2000 January 31, Doug Wickstrom, “Tipping the maids”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom (Usenet), archived from the original on 22 Jun 2025

   3 more examples

   I was able to get it out of the clerk that this Franks guy—he’s supposed to be a legit writer who’s on the road a lot—but after I greased her palm with a few Thomas Jeffersons she tells me he don’t ever pick up his mail there.

   1987 May, James N. Frey, chapter 9, in USSA: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Zebra Books, →ISBN, page 134

   I'll wager a Thomas Jefferson that there will be a 5euro coin on the Continent before there is an 18cent coin in fly-over-country.

   2003 October 19, Kenneth Sloan, “Change for a five”, in rec.games.chess.politics (Usenet), archived from the original on 22 Jun 2025

   “I’ve never said this before,” I started off with a chuckle, handing him the bill, “but here’s a Thomas Jefferson for your troubles.” […] “I gave him a Thomas Jefferson,” I reminded her with a laugh, only to admit, “Until today, I had no idea Thomas Jefferson was on the two.” I chuckled again and complained, “I wish we still had the two dollar bill in our time—they’re so handy.”

   2022 April 18, Douglas J. McGregor, “Part Five: 1941”, in Roadtrip 41, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, section 2

   Synonyms: Jefferson, Tom

2. A United States nickel (five-cent coin) featuring Thomas Jefferson.

   After I first saw the old man I kept watching for those buffalo nickels, but they’re all Thomas Jeffersons now.

   1993 June, Hortense Calisher, “Blind Eye, Wrong Foot”, in Laura Furman, editor, American Short Fiction, volume 3, number 10, Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 43

   2 more examples

   For modern-era citizens now dependent on debit cards and no longer familiar with coin values: Cheez-Its requires one Franklin Roosevelt and two George Washingtons. (Hold onto your Thomas Jeffersons for drinks, later.)

   2012, Doug Brendel, “A Primer for Ye Olde Vending Tradition”, in Only in Ipswich 2013, →ISBN, page 38

   If I had a nickel for every time I made the mistake of telling someone I was sick—and they said disbelievingly, “But you look fine!”—I’d be rolling in shiny little Thomas Jeffersons.

   2021, Chloe Liese, “Rooney”, in With You Forever (Bergman Brothers; 4), London: Penguin Books, published 2023, →ISBN

3. A United States dollar coin featuring Thomas Jefferson.

   Included in my nascent collection of eight presidential dollar coins are two Thomas Jeffersons and one Andrew Jackson, neither of whom should need an introduction.

   2014, Gerald Karey, “Do You Have Change for a Sacagawea?”, in Unhinged: Reflections, Opinions, Humor, Reminiscences, an Occasional Rant, Reportage—a Random Chronicle of Our Times, Amherst, Mass.: Small Batch Books, →ISBN, section 15 (A Baker’s Dozen), page 373

   2 more examples

   They stopped minting the Washington dollar coins as soon as they starting minting John Adams coins. Similarly, the John Adams are no longer in productions - and Thomas Jeffersons will give way to James Madison very soon.

   2007 September 9, Jim Seymour, “Coin scam in the open?”, in rec.collecting.coins (Usenet), archived from the original on 22 Jun 2025

   Now the mint is really pushing the gold Presidential dollar coins that started up last year hoping that people will collect the full set of presidents (I do) - I always get them in change from the office soda machine and at the post office stamp machine. In fact I have three Thomas Jeffersons jingling in my pocket as I write this.

   2008 August 12, Paul Dietenberger, “OT: 2$ Bill”, in rec.antiques.radio+phono (Usenet), archived from the original on 22 Jun 2025