/ · 1894 Brewer’s · P · Penny-a-liner (A)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A contributor to the local newspapers, but not on the staff. At one time these collectors of news used to be paid a penny a line, and it was to their interest to spin out their report as much as possible. The word remains, but is now a misnomer.
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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.
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