Meaning of Idiom ‘Baker’s Dozen’
A baker’s dozen is thirteen of anything, especially bread or pastry items.
Usage Notes
Although you can use ‘a baker’s dozen’ to describe 13 of anything, doing so will often sound silly. The idiom is best reserved for actual bakery items and is becoming archaic.
Sentence Examples
“When I was a kid when you order a dozen bought donuts, they gave you a baker’s dozen. Now, you get only twelve.”
“There is a new bagel shop in town and the bagels are great! Plus, they gave me a baker’s dozen.”
“We have a baker’s dozen of new watch designs to choose from.”
Origin
This idiom comes from a time when almost everything, including bread, was sold by weight. Baker’s would add an extra slice or two to a loaf to avoid the heavy penalty associated with selling a loaf that was underweight. When small bakery items were sold, an extra was added for good measure, for the same reason. See CulinaryLore for the full origin of this idiom.
